Beware this phone call offering a discount from AT&T

With the outgo of compartment telephone plans and streaming TV going up, wouldn't you similar to little that bill?

Unfortunately, 1 connection for a large discount is truly a scam.

Thousands, if not millions, of radical are receiving automated calls that look to travel from AT&T.

I checked my voicemail implicit the play and heard this automated message.

"Hi there! I americium calling you from AT&T and DirecTV to fto you cognize that your existing relationship is qualified for 50% off," the voicemail connection said.

A half-price compartment telephone and TV package? It seemed similar conscionable what I could use, adjacent though I don't person an "existing account" with either provider.

But I decided not to fto that halt maine from looking into this astonishing discount offer.

So, I called backmost and a robo-agent asked for my relationship fig and PIN.

"Before you get started, I conscionable request your PIN number," Robo-Mary told me.

Even though I don't person an AT&T account, I would not springiness retired that accusation if I did.

Caller asks for wealth upfront

Last year, Jackie Wilkinson got a akin call.

"He asked, 'Do you privation to prevention money?'" she told me. "Naturally, successful this time and age, who doesn't privation to prevention money? So I said, 'Yes,' and helium said, 'Great!'"

But Wilkinson's caller wanted her to nonstop wealth archetypal to assertion her half-price discount package.

Charlotte Harrison besides got the call. She said it went from affable to frightening precise quickly.

The caller said that if she did not motion up for the caller program, her satellite-TV work would beryllium disconnected.

"I deliberation it's atrocious due to the fact that it frightened me," she said. "I said, 'I request to bash this truthful I don't suffer my TV.'"

Will AT&T truly telephone you similar this?

A fewer years ago, these calls would interest your DirecTV oregon Dish Network account, but since astir radical don't person dishes anymore successful this streaming age, they would conscionable bent up.

Scammers present usage the sanction and caller ID of AT&T, and with millions of radical connected the AT&T network, it's casual to judge your supplier is calling you with a large caller connection for their DirecTV streaming service.

So, don't fto this hap to you. The Better Business Bureau says ...

• Cell phone, satellite, and cablegram providers volition ne'er telephone you astir lowering your measure (I had Time Warner/Spectrum for 20 years and ne'er got a telephone astir lowering my bill).

• Providers volition ne'er inquire for an upfront outgo for an upgrade, particularly via Apple oregon eBay acquisition cards.

• These are each scams, adjacent if the caller ID shows your compartment telephone oregon TV provider.

• They volition inquire you to prepay and bargain immoderate you nonstop them.

When I tried to question the offer, and inquire wherefore they called maine erstwhile I americium not adjacent an AT&T customer, the robo-agent would person thing to bash with me.

"Thanks for your time. Have a bully day," Robo Mary told maine earlier hanging up.

AT&T says it volition ne'er telephone you to petition your relationship number, PIN oregon Social Security Number (or inquire you to telephone them backmost astatine a provided fig with the aforesaid information).

If you privation to little your bill, springiness your supplier a call.

Hang up if they call, truthful you don't discarded your money.

______________________

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