Holy crap I think I won

[PyroGenic]

Some lady just called me to confirm some information and told me I had the opportunity to choose between 25 grand towards a new car or an all expenses paid trip to the bahamas. I filled out one of those "fill out for a chance to win" cards at the mall a couple of months ago while waiting for a movie and totally forgot about it until now. I'm frickin excited :D

[skinfanatic]

itll prob be like the time share house in southpark

[Carmelo]

congrats and I definitely hope that all works out for you.

[BurgundyNGold]

Some lady just called me to confirm some information and told me I had the opportunity to choose between 25 grand towards a new car or an all expenses paid trip to the bahamas. I filled out one of those "fill out for a chance to win" cards at the mall a couple of months ago while waiting for a movie and totally forgot about it until now. I'm frickin excited :D
Confirm *what* information? Don't go giving out information to people over the phone or you might turn out to be the big winner in the identity theft sweepstakes.

[CarMike]

Confirm *what* information? Don't go giving out information to people over the phone or you might turn out to be the big winner in the identity theft sweepstakes.
Exactly. My aunt fell for a similar scheme. She gave some info over the phone and two months later she was getting credit card bills in the mail.

Don't mean to rain on your parade Pyro, just be very careful.

[PyroGenic]

Exactly. My aunt fell for a similar scheme. She gave some info over the phone and two months later she was getting credit card bills in the mail.

Don't mean to rain on your parade Pyro, just be very careful.

well she already knew all the info like where I lived and which mall I filled out the paper dealie so I hope its legit. I gave no other information and unless she's some killer stalker chick, I don't think I have too much to worry about (hopefully).

You guys aren't the only ones raining on the parade, all my friends have turned into haters and are trying to find flaws in it. Somebody has to win one of those things right?

[CarMike]

I'm naturally very skeptical at these type of things. I used to sign up for those things regularly. After I "won" 5+ drawings, I started thinking that everybody won. As skinfanatic mentioned earlier, they're usually a time share type of deal.

They'll give you something to get you buy more. But the $25,000 dollar choice is a new twist. Perhaps it it legit. Just be careful...lol

[PyroGenic]

I'm naturally very skeptical at these type of things. I used to sign up for those things regularly. After I "won" 5+ drawings, I started thinking that everybody won. As skinfanatic mentioned earlier, they're usually a time share type of deal.

They'll give you something to get you buy more. But the $25,000 dollar choice is a new twist. Perhaps it it legit. Just be careful...lol

What do you mean by "won"? You mean they offered you the chance for a timeshare?

They can try to sell me something if they want, but its not going to make a difference since I'm broke :D

[BurgundyNGold]

well she already knew all the info like where I lived and which mall I filled out the paper dealie so I hope its legit. I gave no other information and unless she's some killer stalker chick, I don't think I have too much to worry about (hopefully).

You guys aren't the only ones raining on the parade, all my friends have turned into haters and are trying to find flaws in it. Somebody has to win one of those things right?
She would have known which mall because they set up the box and shed know your address because you put it on the card. The question is, what else did you giver her on the phone?

And I'm not raining on your parade; I hope you've won. It's just that your odds of getting scammed over the phone are orders of magnitude better than you winning something for nothing.

[BurgundyNGold]

What do you mean by "won"? You mean they offered you the chance for a timeshare?

They can try to sell me something if they want, but its not going to make a difference since I'm broke :D
Yes, we've all "won" a trip to Deep Creek Lake or Fission Springs, AK. That's pretty common. the good thing is that if they promise you a weekend at a place, they have to pay for it. The bad thing is that you have to put up with the marketing while you're there, which pretty much invalidates the win.

BTW, those "Win a ...." boxes are well known marketing methods. Before the internet, there was no easier way to end up on a host of marketing lists.

[CarMike]

What do you mean by "won"? You mean they offered you the chance for a timeshare?

They can try to sell me something if they want, but its not going to make a difference since I'm broke :D
Well, for me, I remember "winning" some free photo's. Family style. Once they get you there, they want you to buy more. And if I remember correctly, they try to make you pay for S&H of your free picture.

I've won some trips that turned out to be time shares. I didn't go but it opened up a ton of telemarketers.

Good luck though bro.

[PyroGenic]

She would have known which mall because they set up the box and shed know your address because you put it on the card. The question is, what else did you giver her on the phone?

And I'm not raining on your parade; I hope you've won. It's just that your odds of getting scammed over the phone are orders of magnitude better than you winning something for nothing.

It was all yes or no answers like

"Do you live at so and so, is your name blah blah blah are you single (followed by silence)" and so on

Well, for me, I remember "winning" some free photo's. Family style. Once they get you there, they want you to buy more. And if I remember correctly, they try to make you pay for S&H of your free picture.

I've won some trips that turned out to be time shares. I didn't go but it opened up a ton of telemarketers.

Good luck though bro.

eeek...

Kinda funny sidestory about the telemarketers is that about a year ago I had some mexican company trying to sell me a rug about once a week over 3 months. I ended up just hanging up the phone as soon as I heard spanish and accidentally hung up on family members atleast 9 times after yelling "STOP PEDDLING ME YOUR CRAP!". Made the family reunions more interesting.

[Carmelo]

yeah, you have to let us know the outcome of this.

[redskinz#1fan]

My wife said that she had received the same type of call...they told her that she won, and then proceeded to ask her how she wanted to spend her $25k...just be very careful!

[redskin_rich]

It's a scam and you can expect a boatload of junkmail, phone solicitations, etc for the next few years. Everybody wins and in turn they lose. If you have the patience to sit through a high pressure sales pitch for a timeshare or some other useless investment, go for it and enjoy your 3 day, 2 night stay in Hilton Head, the Bahamas or whatever.

Yeah, I've won before too but I didn't have the time or interest to follow up but man did they ever start bugging me.

[dj_stouty]

It's a scam and you can expect a boatload of junkmail, phone solicitations, etc for the next few years. Everybody wins and in turn they lose. If you have the patience to sit through a high pressure sales pitch for a timeshare or some other useless investment, go for it and enjoy your 3 day, 2 night stay in Hilton Head, the Bahamas or whatever.

Yeah, I've won before too but I didn't have the time or interest to follow up but man did they ever start bugging me.

Yup, you are right.

One time, my wife and I separately entered a drawing at a mall for some sort of extravagant vacation. I got a call from someone a week later telling me I was the big winner. I got a bit skeptical a few minutes into the call due to the type of questions they were asking and eventually hung up. 2 days later, my wife got the exact same call saying she was the "big winner".

Fact is, EVERYONE is a big winner when it comes to these types of marketing ploys.

Pyro, I hope you are the exception, but my first inclination after reading your story is that you are the "big winner" just like everyone who entered the contest.

[BurgundyNGold]

It's a scam and you can expect a boatload of junkmail, phone solicitations, etc for the next few years. Everybody wins and in turn they lose. If you have the patience to sit through a high pressure sales pitch for a timeshare or some other useless investment, go for it and enjoy your 3 day, 2 night stay in Hilton Head, the Bahamas or whatever.

Yeah, I've won before too but I didn't have the time or interest to follow up but man did they ever start bugging me.
Tell me about it.

Never... NEVER give out your home phone number on any application, ever. It's like inviting a vampire into your house. If you give them your phone number, it invalidates your "Do Not Call" registration for everyone they sell that data too.

Ironically, this is the kind of bottom feeder, targeted marketing list crap that Danny innovated.

[HAWGZHEAD]

As long as they never ask for your bank account#, your social security#, or for you to send them a check for the taxes on your winnings or any other type of payment, it may be legit.

Yeah, I listen to Clark Howard almost daily lol.

[BurgundyNGold]

As long as they never ask for your bank account#, your social security#, or for you to send them a check for the taxes on your winnings or any other type of payment, it may be legit.
Back account #, credit card numbers, any part of your social security number (including last 4), driver's license number... any of these (and more) can be used to steal from you.

Yeah, I listen to Clark Howard almost daily lol.
I would've thought you to listen to Clint Howard daily, lol. ;)

[HAWGZHEAD]

Back account #, credit card numbers, any part of your social security number (including last 4), driver's license number... any of these (and more) can be used to steal from you.


I would've thought you to listen to Clint Howard daily, lol. ;)I didn't know he had a show but I may listen now lol.

[BurgundyNGold]

I didn't know he had a show but I may listen now lol.
Clint Howard as that crazy baby on the original Star Trek, lol...

http://www.lowculture.com/archives/images/clintstartrek.jpg

[redskin_rich]

Clint Howard as that crazy baby on the original Star Trek, lol...

[image]
Gawd, he had the ugly monster teeth even as a child.

[BurgundyNGold]

Gawd, he had the ugly monster teeth even as a child.
I know! I was laughing as I posted it. And much like the human nose and ears, the Clint Howard forehead continues to grow throughout his life, lol.

[PyroGenic]

My wife said that she had received the same type of call...they told her that she won, and then proceeded to ask her how she wanted to spend her $25k...just be very careful!

they didn't ask me how i wanted to spend it, just said I'd be receiving a pink envelope in the mail in 2-7 days regarding the me winning thing. I think the phone call was just to confirm that i still live where I do. But telling me to be careful is scaring me just a tad, what happened?

[PyroGenic]

It's a scam and you can expect a boatload of junkmail, phone solicitations, etc for the next few years. Everybody wins and in turn they lose. If you have the patience to sit through a high pressure sales pitch for a timeshare or some other useless investment, go for it and enjoy your 3 day, 2 night stay in Hilton Head, the Bahamas or whatever.

Yeah, I've won before too but I didn't have the time or interest to follow up but man did they ever start bugging me.

I have zero interest in the potential time share, I just want the car :D

If I have to sit through a high pressure sales pitch to get the car, I'll just drag my brother in law there and let him deal with it (he's scary).

[csquared]

Yea dude i cant believe you havent gotten them before. EVERYONE has gotten them. They will have you jumping through hoops to even get the chance at $25k.

[firehawk157]

Yeah, my wife is the gullible type and it has cost us hundreds of dollars... She got a call saying that we won XXXX (I forgot how much) dollars and she just needed to confirm some info and they gave her our home address, phone number (duh, they called her), and some other information and they'd mail heran envelope in which she put a voided check and fill out a quick survey and we'd get all this money. She agreed (I was TDY to florida at the time) and as soon as she did, we had like $600 missing from our account. And let me tell you, once you fall for it, it doesn't stop.

The next week, she got a call from a "detective" that was investigating a scam somebody in the area was running and he had information that we had $300 missing from our account. He asked her to confirm her banking/routing number (which he read off to her) and authorize him to make the necessary inquiries to our bank, and then bam, another $300. By this point, I told her that if anyone wanted to do anything involving money that she didn't have contact with PRIOR to them calling us, tell them to leave us a contact number to call them back and contact the police before proceeding. She agreed but calls claiming we won a car, we won money, we won the new cutting edge cell phone, we won a laptop from dell, didn't stop until I changed my number. They just started up again though, I guess they found my new number:(

[AGibbsGirl]

On the plus side, I entered a drawing to win a new bike at the local Mc D's and we actually won it...the boys were thrilled, 'course they were 6 & 7 at the time


If they call back, tell them you are skeptical, "Gee I hope you understand miss..." and start asking them for their info...like business name, address, phone number, business license number, the girl's name and contact info, anything that you might think of to check them out if they are legit they should give you details, if they are not, they will probably hang up very quickly