I was scammed.

Last week I noticed several calls on my Caller ID log that said DirecTV.  The number was 424-321-6000.  Finally I answered when this number called again, and it was a guy with a heavy Spanish accent named Mark.  He said he was from DirecTV in the Technical dept and they needed to conduct a test on my receiver to determine if I was receiving signals correctly.  He said the test would take 10-30 minutes, and he would call back.

When he called back some time later, he said that they needed to replace my receiver, and instead of the usual $480, I would get a promotional offer of $200, which DT would reimburse at $20 off my bill for two years.  He gave me a P.O. Box in Rochester, NY to mail a check for $199.95, and said my new receiver would arrive within 3 days.  

He called on Friday night to ask if my receiver had arrived,and I said no, to which he said it would definitely arrive on Monday.  I was to call him at 720-523-5915, ext. 110 and he would help me with installation.

The receiver arrived on Monday, but I wasn’t home; there were 4 calls registered on Caller ID from the 424 AC number.  Later in the afternoon, I unpacked the receiver with installation instructions, and hooked it up to the 3 cables, just as Mark called again.  I told him that I was about to follow the on-screen prompts to finish setting up, and he walked me through the steps.  He told me to return the old receiver in the same box using the USPS prepaid label, or I could drop it off at UPS or Fed-Ex, then mail my check to the P.O. Box.  I did all of that the next day, Tuesday

I received a call on Wednesday from Mark asking if I had I mailed the check, I said yes I mailed it on Tuesday, along with the receiver.  He asked if I had mailed the check to the address he gave me in NY and I said yes.  He asked if everything was working properly, and I said that the remote control seemed slow now, with my having to press keys more than once to get them to work.  Mark said DirecTV would send me a new one free of charge and I would get it in 6-10 days.

I started wondering why he would call to ask about my mailing the check, and also why DirecTV didn’t just bill me.  Yes, I am stupid and I fell for a scam.

I called my bank and stopped payment on my check to D Promotions, the name Mark has told me to address the check to.  That cost me $20, but better that than $200.  

I called Directv and the nice guy named Morris patiently listened to my tale without interruption.  He put me on hold, coming back periodically to tell me to be patient, as he was still checking.

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When he finally came back, Morris said that he and his supervisor had checked with their technical dept., and a test indeed had been run on my receiver, but not by DirecTV.  He said these scammers were able to do this by somehow getting into the system, but not to worry, my receiver was secure.  He said that DT would never charge me for a new receiver if the one I had needed to be upgraded, and certainly not require me to send a check.  The whole “promotion” deal of the regular price being $480 and my getting a discount was all made up by the scammer.  I told him that it bothered me that these crooks could get into my account and equipment like that.  He said they do not to want to lose customers over things like this, and would work to prevent it in the future.  He then asked if I would like to speak with his supervisor for peace of mind, and I said yes.

The supervisor, Roy, told me that he had been about to leave when Morris came running into his office, out of breath, telling him about my story, and was very concerned.  He reassured me that I need not worry about this being a future problem.  He said DirecTV never calls their customers like this Mark scammer did;  they would first send an email telling me about a problem, and notifying me that my equipment would be tested and replaced if needed.