Robocalls are on the rise again. More than 7.2 billion were sent to Americans in June, according to RoboKiller, a robocall blocking service. That’s nearly one spam call a day for every person in the U.S.
One of these bogus messages has been going around for literally decades, and it just won’t go away because people keep falling for it.
The recorded message goes something like this:
“This is Linda from dealer processing to give you one last courtesy call to let you know that based on our records, the factory warranty has expired on your vehicle. Is that right?”
The fraudsters placing these robocalls are trying to trick you into buying an extended car warranty – whether you need one or not – at a supposedly low-low price.
Amy Nofziger with the AARP Fraud Watch Network says, if you get one of these calls – hang up.
“From what we’ve heard from victims who have purchased these car warranties, often they don’t even know that there is basically no warranty behind it until they try to use it,” Nofziger said. “So, they’ve paid for something that has so many terms and conditions to it, or maybe their dealership or their manufacturer doesn’t even take that car warranty.”
The AARP Fraud Watch Network has information on avoiding robocall scams. If you get a call and don’t know what to do, call the Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 877-908-3360 before you provide an unknown caller with information or money. You do not need to be an AARP member to use this free service. You can listen to the latest robocalls in your area on AARP Washington’s Tip-Offs to Rip-Offs page.
More Info:
Robocalls on the Rise: How You Can Fight Back (This story contains a link to the Consumerpedia podcast: Those &#@X%*! Robocalls: Can’t Anything Be Done to Stop Them?