Call Centers and Internet as new playground for con games

By Fernan Angeles

EVERY playing field known to man has become vulnerable to con games even the most sophisticated modern day information technology system is no guarantee of its being scam proof. In fact, the modern day technology that provides convenience shopping has become susceptible to fraudulent transactions by unscupulous groups masquerading as legitimate marketing conduit.

With reports on scams being pulled off via the Internet of through the call centers, information technology firms are now pressed tool develop, conceptualize and put up a scam-proof system that would guarantee the protection of the people against con artists who have found the call center industry as their newest playing field for fraud.

Recent reports indicate an uphill trend on the number of people, who have found themselves victims of con artists via the internet and the call centers.

The newest scam, high-tech, involves no selling in the Internet and through call centers. Sweet talking “call center agents” at the other end of the telephone line would offer a free trial of a supposed new product or an IT system that is apparently being packaged as “something new” in the market.

It would however require the subsequent victim to submit their credit card number “if only to guarantee” that they are dealing with people who are not just after free hitches. The free trial, which would be seven days from the supposed receipt of their product or IT system, could be cancelled any time without anyh charge. Another ploy is what they call money back guarantee, when the truth is that you’ll never get your money back, and even if you do, it would perhaps be long enough for the money yo be considered as borrowed from you, with the loan without earning an interest.

Under the well planned scam, anybody who gets to respond to their calls or invitations are offered a seven day free trial. From there, anybody who gets to be convinced are asked whether or not he’s a credit card holder. The moment one gets to give his credit card number, then its a done deal. Police have had reports of people complaining about their credit cards accumulating debts for products and services which they never had.

As to how the scam is consumated, police believes that the scam may have been similar to those in the past where computer brainiacs are able to hack into the system using high tech gadgets, which are good enough given numbers corresponding the account of their unsuspecting victim.

In Metro Manila alone, blotter entries of people who claims to have fallen victim to the ploy are on the rise. For the first half of the year, police said that there are already roughly 130 reported incidents of such nature.

Under these circumstances, it is imperative for the call center and internet communities to cooperate with the police on matters pertinent to a scam that promises to be tomorrow’s must lucrative con game. Equally important is the vigilance of the apparent victims to be the computer dependent community.*