Q. I am on the "Do Not Call" list, but continue to receive calls from Rachel at Cardholder Services. Is there a way to stop this telemarketing?
A. Sadly, calls from "Rachel" are on the increase. BBB is alerting consumers that long-time scammer "Rachel" from Cardholder Services has a new angle: lying about her identity on Caller ID and pretending to call from a local (423 or 706 area code) phone number. Now on occasion, she goes by "Bridget."
BBB has received several calls and emails from consumers inquiring about the scam and it speculates, in some cases, how they received a call from their own home phone on that line.
The name "Rachel" has been used for years for this scam, which uses robo-calls designed to help scammers steal identities and money from consumers.
Disguising the real caller ID number from which the scammer is calling is called "spoofing."
Today, technology has enabled scammers to make it appear that their call is coming from another number. Some have reported seeing their own number displayed when Rachel calls.
These scammers are also capable of displaying the name and number of one of your family members, friends or trusted local businesses.
The Federal Trade Commission reports that even though past efforts to stop Rachel have temporarily slowed her scams, she is still prompting around 150,000 complaints a month at its Do Not Call Registry website.
Callers who respond to Rachel's fake offer to lower their credit card interest rates find that at best the scammer only sets up a three-way call with the consumer and their credit card company to request a rate reduction. This is an action that any cardholder can undertake themselves for free.
Instead, Rachel charges between $495 and $1,595 for this "service," even in cases where the rate was not lowered by their card company.
As the practice of spoofing continues to grow, BBB offers these tips for you when "Rachel" or any of the other phone scammers telephone:
* Do not trust caller ID. Your phone's screen might display the number of a familiar and trusted person but it can be faked.
* If you received a voice message from any telemarketing, do not call them back.
* If you answer and get a recorded pitch from Rachel or someone with a similar offer, do not press any buttons that you are prompted to press. This can cause you to receive even more annoying calls in the future.
* Trust your instincts. If something does not seem right or seems too good to be true, hang up.
* Allow calls to go to voice mail that appear to be from your own number or an unknown one. Pick up only if you recognize the number.
Jim Winsett is president of the Better Business Bureau of Chattanooga.