Warning: Potential Scam! :( (credit card, promotional, live)

[KiddinAroundFarm]

Just a warning about a potential (probable) scam that is going around in our area... we got a phone call last night on our landline around 8pm or so. It was a pleasant man who identified himself as "Brent". My husband took the call. "Brent" proceeded to say hello, and identify that he was calling from the Boston Globe. Then goes on to say that he is "going be DOWN there for Christmas" and was wondering if he could sign us up for a promotional package while he was here. My husband said no thanks, that we were all set, as we get our news from the internet... "Brent" goes on to say how he's "from the CITY of Maine ya know, and it would be great to sign you all up". Doesn't sound like a scam quite yet right?

However, "Brent" had quite the foreign accent it seems and stumbled over the word "Brent". lol. And he was rather vague about where he was calling from that would make us UP from. To top it all off, when my husband said that Maine was a STATE and not a CITY he said "oh yes, that was my mistake". Just not right...

Now, does this make for a scam neccesarily? Nope, but it just doesn't seem right. Either the call was a scam looking for money and using the Boston Globe name, or the Globe is now outsourcing to get subscribers, and giving them an AWFUL script to use. I can't imagine that it's the second. Outsourcing yes, but the "script" was just not professional. Seemed fishy. Just a warning to all if you get this call. Husband said the guy was really nice, and if he'd have been doing something else AND taking the call, and was remotely interested in the newspaper he may have missed these things.

[forest beekeeper]

Hmm, yes very fishy.

[Cornerguy1]

Sounds like a typical credit card fishing scam.

Rule #1: Don't give out personal information to anyone who solicits you.

Rule #2: Follow Rule #1 regardless of how nice the fisherman seems.

[K-Luv]

Sounds like a scam to me. I am quite sure that the Boston Globe would love nothing more then to sign up new people for subscriptions, but I seriously doubt that they would outsource for it.

[KiddinAroundFarm]

Yes, that is how we felt as well KLuv, just doesn't sound right. And it's a good thing we don't have credit cards here... they can call all they want and they won't get anywhere! But it was worth the heads-up for people. When a "person who is scamming" uses a legitimate business as their "cover" it makes it harder for people to distinguish.

[399083453]

I dont think its a scam. Annoying yes.

When I lived in NH, I used to get a call from the Boston Globe once or twice a year asking me to sign up. So yes, they do this. Was this the Boston Globe calling? Who knows.

[danpv]

What the caller didn't tell you is that he was calling from the Boston Globe *Nigeria* bureau.

[ILUVMAINE]

Originally Posted by danpv

What the caller didn't tell you is that he was calling from the Boston Globe *Nigeria* bureau.

SO TRUE! You must have seen that 60 minutes special too!

[kissimmee]

Nigerian scams only works on greedy westerners who want profits where they did not invest LOL

[bringselpup]

Umm...

Lived there until recently, and would get the calls (until we listed the phone number on the "do not call" list)

My first thought was The Boston Globe? Oh yeah they would outsource a subscription campaign. A quick google on the topic had hits. They definately are outsourcing and it looked like it was to India.

But does someone there actually think the Globe is a relevant newspaper to residents of Maine? That's what gave me a moments pause. I know personally I could give a rats patootie what goes on down there these days.