Is this a scam?

[Watered Garden]

This afternoon, I got a call from an 866 number. A recorded voice informed me that I had a collect call from Franklin Correctional Institute. It went on to state that my carrier did not permit collect calls and in order to receive this call I would have to set up a prepaid account, using my Mastercard or Visa. At this point, I hung up.

I checked the internet and there is a Franklin Correctional facility in Tennessee and one in Florida. There is a Franklin Pre-release center in Ohio, and of course Franklin County Jail.

To the best of my knowledge, I do not know any inmates in any of these institutions.

Has anyone else ever received a call like this? I ever so strongly suspect a scam. I've also been receiving calls today from "Dagwood Archie" in Texas someplace. Peanuts, Lucy and Snoopy have refrained from bothering me, however.

WG

[Belle]

<_< Does sound odd, WG. I looked on Snopes, too, and don't see any warnings, but if you're on the cutting edge of the scam they wouldn't know about it yet.

[waysider]

I used to get that one, also, though not for a couple of years.

They are trying to get your credit card number.

You can star 69 (*69) to get the last incoming number to your phone unless they have it blocked.

(And they probably will)

It will cost you a small fee.

You can then report it to authorities if you so choose.

BTW---(866) is a toll free area code.

[pawtucket]

Star 69 will only work if they haven't spoofed the phone, which is more than likely.

[Nottawayfer]

Spoof the phone? What does that mean?

[waysider]

Spoof the phone? What does that mean?

Block the *caller ID*

[pawtucket]

sorry about that. Yes spoof the caller ID. It is way too easy to do

[Watered Garden]

On my phones the caller ID says "not provided".

Dagwood Archie left a message. It is a fax machine being sent to the wrong number. However, I suspect it is suspicious as well. Though I must admit I once had a semi-listed phone number under the name of Maggie Muggins, to attempt to foil those who wanted to sell me a condo in Myrtle Beach, etc.

WG

[HAPe4me]

That IS how inmates in some institutions are able to call, if they do not want to use pay phones and drop what little cash they are allowed into it. You set up a prepaid account with the service that handles the calls and they call using a passcode. I am NOT saying this is the case for the call you got, it could ALSO be a scam. good luck. If it WAS an inmate, you will hear from them eventually, or perhaps it was a wrong number.

~HAP

[2life]

I would suspect its a scam....

BUT....be assurred.... if it were REALLY really important....and ment just for you... they would find another way to contact ya! (I think)

You had a phone listed as Maggie Muggins!! That is too funny!! LOL!!

[rhino]

I didn't know what spoofing caller ID was ... so went to wikipedia. ...

caller ID spoofing can make a call appear to have come from any phone number the caller wishes. Because people are prone to assume a call is coming from the number (and hence, the associated person, or persons), this can call the service's value into question.

Used to be you could block your ID, but people could block receiving calls from blocked IDs. Now it appears you can pretend to be another number (any number it seems), and there is consideration for making it illegal to spoof your ID.

Don't ever give any private info to anyone that calls you.

[dmiller]

A co-worker of mine once got a collect call from the local county jail,

without the caller being identified.

But -- she was NOT asked to do any of the things you mentioned.

(Such as) --- set up an account, give a mastercard number, etc.

We figured it was from an ex co-worker of ours, fired for stealing from the clients.

She's helped pull him out of trouble before (from his 20-ish year old *youthful indiscretions*),

so we figured that this was from him (again).

She didn't return the call -- so we'll never know.

But she was NOT asked for *sensitive* financial info either.

That would've been a red flag to me then, as it is now.

[Rocky]

Don't ever give any private info to anyone that calls you.

That says it all.

[WordWolf]

This afternoon, I got a call from an 866 number. A recorded voice informed me that I had a collect call from Franklin Correctional Institute. It went on to state that my carrier did not permit collect calls and in order to receive this call I would have to set up a prepaid account, using my Mastercard or Visa. At this point, I hung up.

I checked the internet and there is a Franklin Correctional facility in Tennessee and one in Florida. There is a Franklin Pre-release center in Ohio, and of course Franklin County Jail.

To the best of my knowledge, I do not know any inmates in any of these institutions.

Has anyone else ever received a call like this? I ever so strongly suspect a scam.

WG

I used to get that one, also, though not for a couple of years.

They are trying to get your credit card number.

They're fishing for your credit card number.

Or, to be more accurate, they're "phishing" for it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phishing

Hm.

This might even be an example of "vishing."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vishing

Don't ever give any private info to anyone that calls you.

Legitimate agencies already HAVE your information.

You can say "yes, you can go ahead and access my information already in your files",

since that tells them no new information,

or you can call them back on a phone# you ALREADY have for them,

or access a website you ALREADY have for them.

If you use a phone# the caller provided, or a web link they provided,

you could use something they faked up,

and think you're on the real thing.