| [Scam] Card Services relentless phone calls revisited A search of the archives here in the forum revealed a thread about this relentless phone campaign back in 2008:
»Telemarketing: Die, Heather from Card Services, Die
This same aggressive telemarketing scheme is still relentlessly badgering people with impunity. It doesn't matter if you are on the "no-call list", have an unpublished number, or if you file complaints with your state Attorney General's Office, or with the FTC or the FCC. Those agencies appear unable to track these people down. I'm getting calls every other day that follow this script:
A recorded voice says the message is from "Card Services" and announces that I need to "act now to save money on my credit cards as the offer is about to expire." An option to “press one” to be connected with a live operator is given along with the option to “press two” to stop receiving any more notifications. Pressing two accomplishes nothing and pressing one to speak to the "operator" connects you to an aggressive script reader who immediately asks you if you are interested in the offer. Any answer other than “yes” results in an immediate hang up, but they call again within a day or two. Attempting a call-back is useless as the number is either busy, or no one answers, or it belongs to a disconnected account. These people apparently know how to game the phone system to retain an anonymous status.
Has anyone successfully found a way to stop this harassment? Any suggestions? Doing a google search of "Card Services" brings back lots of discussions in various forums but I didn't see any solutions. Using "anonymous blocking" is ineffective since they do reveal a number, and using Caller ID to ignore their calls (usually originating from a 1-800 service in Florida) simply puts you back in the rotation to receive another call several minutes later. It's exasperating. What I am doing at this point is to simply pick the phone up and not speak, which seems to confuse the autobot as it listens for about 10 seconds and then disconnects. Perhaps it will delete my number from the list if I continue with the silent treatment...
Ender
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Even though it is politically incorrect, I will continue to shamelessly exchange oxygen for carbon dioxide with every breath I take... |
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 nwrickertsand groperPremium,MVM
join:2004-09-04
Geneva, IL
kudos:7 | I just hang up on them. I haven't found a way of stopping the calls. |
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peterboroAvatars are for posersPremium
join:2006-11-03
Peterborough, ON | reply to Ender3rd
I've got the same calls up here. As they are unstoppable I just answer yes and proceed to waste as much time as possible now.
Does it stop them? No. But it might save a few more people from getting a call plus it is about the only way to get any semblance of satisfaction.
PS. I even got one so wound up she starting swearing at me as I laughed into the phone at her. |
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| reply to Ender3rd
Yeah "she" is relentless. I have also been playing with them when I have some free time. Last week I argued with the guy for five minutes when I told him he was breaking the law by calling me. He actually said to me "...well haven't you broken the law because you got a speeding ticket?" Wow, I then proceeded to play psychic friends network on him by playing 20 questions...(guess which credit card I have...) He finally cursed me out and hung up. |
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 monski
join:2000-10-04
Grandville, MI | reply to Ender3rd
This is how I solved the problem:
1) Press "1” to be connected to a live person
2) Blast air horn into phone for 3 seconds
3) Laugh and say, "Let that teach you a lesson"
4) Hang up
Haven't received a call from them since. |
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 AVDRespice, Adspice, ProspicePremium
join:2003-02-06
Onion, NJ
kudos:1 | said by monski:This is how I solved the problem:
1) Press "1” to be connected to a live person
2) Blast air horn into phone for 3 seconds
3) Laugh and say, "Let that teach you a lesson"
4) Hang up
Haven't received a call from them since.
5) post video on youtube
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Standard disclaimers apply.
[i]As self-appointed Transitional Leader, I support a new Constitutional Convention. Sooner or later the Occupy Wall Street protesters will join Tea Partiers and others in calling for exactly that[/i] |
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 starreemPremium
join:2000-12-22
Raleigh, NC
 ·AT&T U-Verse
| reply to Ender3rd
Got a call from "card services" on my cell phone today  The first time ever. I was glad to dump my landline last winter, I got a few months of relief.
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Vuja De - The feeling you've never been here before. |
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 madylarianThe curmudgeonlyPremium
join:2002-01-03
Parkville, MD | reply to Ender3rd
Not only are they still coming but the caller IDs are getting more and more.......interesting. Besides the Florida 800 numbers I've seen them from Home Depot, Royal Farm Stores, Rite-Aid and a couple of doctors. I just hang up on them.
mady
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Honi soit qui mal y pense |
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| I have noticed the same thing Mady. Their ability to spoof phone numbers is diabolical. They appear to have powers that go far beyond those of mere mortals...
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Even though it is politically incorrect, I will continue to shamelessly exchange oxygen for carbon dioxide with every breath I take... |
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| Since I use none of the above, the call would be blocked. However, if they can find and use your local dr. or pharmacy, or any other personal business numbers, someone really needs to get after them. |
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| reply to Ender3rd
said by Ender3rd:Has anyone successfully found a way to stop this harassment? Any suggestions?
What I am doing at this point is to simply pick the phone up and not speak, which seems to confuse the autobot as it listens for about 10 seconds and then disconnects. Perhaps it will delete my number from the list if I continue with the silent treatment...
Ender
My solution that has worked (and yours) lies in the SIT tone.
said by »en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_in···on_tones :
Other uses
Because many predictive dialers (used in telemarketing) respond to SITs, consumer devices such as the Telezapper play an Intercept SIT to trick the telemarketer's equipment into flagging a called number as disconnected.
Additionally, the above recordings of SITs could be used on a voicemail or answering machine to achieve a similar effect.
Tones here: »en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_in···_.5B1.5D
I added the whole, "Where sorry, you have reached a number that has either been disconnect or no longer in service.." operator voice recording (that I obtained elsewhere) with the SIT disconnect tone played at the beginning and end, and just forwarded on those calls as needed to my VM (which in reality is turning on my answering machine that I no longer use otherwise to intercept the call.. old school but works for my flow)
I have previously read that others just ad the SIT tone to the beginning of their regular voice greeting for all calls and that's all that's needed, but I didn't want to do that. I mention it though in case that's an option you want to consider however you set this up that works for you.
A few of the robo calls took up to 3 times before it permanently stopped calling me (as in deleted out of the robo bank). All robo calls hang up as soon as the SIT plays because that's what it does.. Tell the phone computer to get lost!
Hope this helps. It did for me 
-Jim |
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garys_2kPremium
join:2004-05-07
Farmington, MI | How did you get the SIT tones into your answering machine? My AM just has a microphone, no audio jack input. Do you hold it near the PC speaker and just hit "play" to acoustically transfer it to the machine? |
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| said by garys_2k:How did you get the SIT tones into your answering machine? My AM just has a microphone, no audio jack input. Do you hold it near the PC speaker and just hit "play" to acoustically transfer it to the machine?
That's what I had to do, but it worked. Took a few tries though. I positioned the PC speaker next to the answering machine speaker. In the end, it had to be about 8-10 inches away (for mine) else it over-modulated the recording.
I put the 2 wav files in a playlist, SIT tone / "We're sorry.." / SIT tone and hit play.
I also set my machine to a longer pickup time to give me some time to look at the CallerID and then hit the "on" button on the answering machine to take it. It's next to me in my home office.
I've had this setup going for many months now, and all the previous calls I got are gone now (specifically, a collection agency that multiplied over time looking for someone unknown to me that wouldn't let up).
BTW, I found where I originally got all the files from, and it was here:
»www.telephonetribute.com/signal_···ions.htm
-Jim |
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| reply to garys_2k
garys_2k  , if you set this up, post back how it's working out for you. If get the recording level right, you will note right away the robo calls will disconnect upon hearing the tone (getting deleted out the the bank may take more than one call though... although it's possible it might be due to my recording quality not the exact pitch or they have a set limit to try again, don't know).
I'd be curious to hear how you did.
-Jim |
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| reply to monski
said by monski:This is how I solved the problem:
1) Press "1” to be connected to a live person
2) Blast air horn into phone for 3 seconds
3) Laugh and say, "Let that teach you a lesson"
4) Hang up
Haven't received a call from them since.
I just did this same thing yesterday....haven't heard back yet...lol
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I cried because I had no shoes, until I saw a man who had no feet..
»www.mnrstudio.com
»www.lostsoulscollection.com
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bgraham
join:2001-03-15
Smithtown, NY Reviews:
 ·VOIPo
·Verizon VoiceWing
| reply to Ender3rd
Check out your options if you use VOIP.
My VOIP provider (Voipo BTW) has a neat feature called telemarketing block. It appears to block all calls from the blocked company regardless of the caller's particular phone #.
It worked for me for Card Services and Cablevision/Optimum Online. |
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| reply to Ender3rd
I had one the other day that showed up as "Obama Mortgage Relief" or something like that. The recorded message claimed it was a "courtesy call" (nothing courteous about disregarding people's wishes not to be called, not to mention the law), that they've "made several calls already" (they got that right), and that "this will be the last call" (God, I hope so.) All I have to do is "press one to speak with a friendly customer service representative." (I've heard they're not very friendly if you dare to tell them not to call again or even ask what company they're with.)
At least they stopped pretending they'll remove you from their calling list. |
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1 edit | reply to Ender3rd
Here is one suggestion on how to frustrate telemarketers - get a baby to answer the phone 
»en.video.sympatico.ca/index.php/···92963001 |
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Whip
join:2009-01-23
Califon, NJ | reply to Ender3rd
Newest number I got a call from: 941-312-2238 |
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garys_2kPremium
join:2004-05-07
Farmington, MI Reviews:
·callwithus
·Callcentric
| said by Whip:Newest number I got a call from: 941-312-2238
Thanks, I added to my "send to disconnected number/SIT tone list." |
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