(971) 208-9955

Very annoying

THIS IS A CRIMINAL OPERATION. The number, 971.208.9955, is being CallerID-spoofed/forged by a small-time scam operation using an auto-dialer system to try to steal credit card numbers and other identity & account information. These scammers are sometimes PRETENDING to be a different (and very real) scam operation, one that first acts like a political survey then tricks people into buying cruises. But it's REALLY a different, smaller scam operation that is mostly just trying to get your credit card information.

Caller IDs reported include YonkYonk, PacTel, PacificTel, PowerOne, SalemOR, PowerTel, Florida, AffordableVacci, Washington, Michigan, IndSurGroip & ClubMonetize. I suspect this operation is based in Tacoma, Washington - with ties to Vegas, Phoenix & Miami.

Other spoofed numbers associated with this scam operation are 360.529.6963, 360.529.6912, 702.879.4528, 702.876.4815, 702.948.7558 & 702.255.1238. I NEVER ONCE EVER got these kinds of calls until late March, 2012. Then, after that, about once a week, a brand new spoofed phone number calls me, often with a different kind of scam. I KNOW these numbers are all related because as soon as one number stopped calling me, the next one started up. And when I look at these complaint boards, it's the same thing for everyone else--as soon as the new spoof number starts up, the old spoof number starts dropping dead.

If you answer the phone you either get dead air, a recording … or the scammers. The reason everyone is hearing so much dead air is because these scammers are letting the automatic dialer equipment run 16 hours a day, seven days a week. Then they are only picking up whenever they already happen to be beside the phone - and when they not already busy talking to some other potential victim.

If you callback you get dead air, or a "disconnected" message, a voicemail system, whatever. Because you are calling back the number that these scammers forged/spoofed. NOT the number they actually called you from.

According to other posters, the scams vary:

* Scam1: Offer for a cheap vacation at a Vegas casino (some of which don't even exist).

* Scam2: Offer of easy&cheap insurance, no medical exam required.

* Scam3: If you complete a political survey, you get a cheap cruise ticket. This scam operation is sometimes POSING as Political Opinions of America and/or Caribbean Cruise Lines. Those are actually fronts for ANOTHER well-known cruise scam operation, as I said above. This "posing" is misdirecting any "heat" onto the other scam operation. Also, THESE scammers sometimes invoke the fake name "Anthem Political Surveys."

* Scam4: Your credit card is 'at risk' and/or its interest rate can be drastically lowered - - according to a 'Financial Center,' 'Credit Card Services,' 'The Providence Corporation,' whatever.

* Scam5: Your checking account is being used to commit fraud.

No matter what they babble about, it's all just BS pretexting by the scammers, trying to steal credit card numbers, birthdays & other identity and account information.

I am 99% sure these scammers got MY phone number by buying bundles of phone numbers from attractive ladies in Vegas (such as cocktail waitresses) who tend to accumulate lots of 'qualified' phone numbers belonging to men with money. Without going into details, trust me on this.

They obtain qualified number bundles in OTHER ways as well, such as using phone numbers within 'affluent' zip codes. These kinds of scams would fail to make money if they wasted tons of time calling every single phone number in America in numerical order. And if they did, well then you would see TENS OF THOUSANDS of complaints on these boards. No, they operate by feeding 'qualified' lists of phone numbers into their auto-dialing systems. Then they dial those same numbers again and again and again, occasionally changing up the spoofed phone number - and the phony story they tell. If you don't fall for this week's gag, you might fall for NEXT week's gag.

I'll eventually end up having to change my phone number to get rid of them once and for all.

What a bunch of worthless @ssholes.

And by that I ALSO mean our federal law enforcement, who could easily track these criminals down, but won't bother to lift a finger to do so.