About Pete Neumann Expertise I have experience as a residential telephone technician and especially enjoy troubleshooting, everthing from static, radio noise, what you can and can`t do about modem speeds, etc. I can also provide installation advice and help avoiding common pitfalls for the do-it-yourselfer.
Experience 2 1/2 years all phases installation and repair.
Expert: Pete Neumann Date: 8/2/2001 Subject: Directory Assistance
Question This may not be up your alley, but here goes. I received an e-mail telling me to call an 888 number and verify some personal information. Before I make the call I'd like to verify some information of my own. Is there a way to find out who owns the number? I already called directory assistance for regular and toll free numbers and they couldn't help. But I think I saw a site once where you could enter a phone number and find out whose number it is. The problem is I can't remember the site. Do you have any ideas on this matter?
Thank you in advance,
DJ
Answer It really isn't up my alley but I can still reccomend some things. First I don't know of a site but a search engine should be able to find it. Second, when you call a toll free number, certain items of information are made available to the owner of that number, usually at least your phone number and sometimes other information as well. Sometimes it is done in real time, for example; if you are an American Express customer and you call customer service, the computer recieves your information and has your account information waiting for the representative taking your call, which automates the process and saves valuable time.
Now, in your case, this is probably meant to be used to defraud you. By getting some information by first getting you to call, then using that information to make you think "they" already have some or all of your information, having you "correct" other information (give you false information and have you give them information they never would have had) and so on, they can then use it in different ways to get at your money. By working the information questions around to your checking account... etc.
However, they wouldn't even need that. When you call, I suspect you soon find extra charges on your phone bill which, when you dispute, the information you "confirmed" will be used to validate their claims along with selective recordings, for example, of the word "yes" during your conversation, not to mention having a record of a two or five minute call from you to them.
This is what I'd do. Law enforcement generally doesn't bother with $25 crimes so scammers like this usually are safely below most prosecutors radar screens. However, the FBI has set up a website to find patterns of small crimes (which add up)like this and I suggest that you go to it and make a report. Include the email -> with all headers <- so they can get going without much wasted time running down that info.
Oh, and DON'T CALL THAT NUMBER!!!
Or, if curiosity gets the best of you, call from a pay phone and lie-lie-lie...
