Promised a free phone or tablet from your wireless provider? You could be the victim of a scam
Wouldn't you love to get a free smartphone from your wireless provider? It's like a dream come true-unless it turns out to be part of a scam that stars you as the victim. Reddit subscriber Juniorbattle902 lives in Canada and posted about a deal he received from Virgin offering him a lower-priced wireless plan and a free iPad for being a loyal customer. After receiving a notification from the postal service a few days later, he went over to the post office to pick up the box which appeared to be too small and light to be a tablet.
"I live in Canada and got a call from Virgin, they offered me a cheaper deal and a free iPad for being a loyal customer. I said sure send it over but when I went to the post office to pick it up I noticed it was light and when I opened it it was an iPhone 15. I called Virgin back and they said it was flagged on my account that I had been sent to the wrong item. They sent me a return label and asked me to send it back and that I would still get the iPad. I also noticed my plan had increased and they said this is because this was reflecting the new phone and this would be fixed. It’s been 3 days and I haven’t sent the phone back yet and they have called me over 20 times."-Reddit subscriber Juniorbattle902, the victim of this scam
When he got home, the Virgin subscriber opened the box to find an iPhone 15 Pro Max inside. Calling Virgin (presumably using a phone number included with the iPhone), he was told that his account was flagged showing that he received the wrong device. He was told to return the phone to Virgin using a return label Virgin sent him. He also noticed that his monthly bill had risen a little which Virgin told him was due to the accidental shipment of the iPhone he received and that it would soon drop back down.
Instead of sending the iPhone 15 Pro Max back to Virgin, Juniorbattle902 decided to hold on to it. He received more than 20 calls over the next three days from Virgin and asked Reddit whether he should send the phone back. Just about every Redditor told him that this was a scam and he should definitely not return it. After looking at the situation closely, you can see how this works.
The scammers call the victim pretending to be from Virgin and tell him that he is getting a free iPad. Perhaps through an insider at the wireless provider, an iPhone 15 Pro Max is purchased using the victim's account and shipped to him. Claiming that it was done by mistake, the scammers on the phone ask for the iPhone 15 Pro Max back and email the victim a fake return label with the scammer's address on it.
Because his account was used to buy the phone, his monthly payment rose. Had the scheme worked, the criminals would have ended up with a free iPhone 15 Pro Max that the victim is paying for. The bad guys can then sell the phone and make some easy cash. Maybe this scam doesn't always work, but it doesn't have to for it to be profitable for the thieves.
Another Redditor almost got scammed by the same scheme but called the real Virgin customer service number and was able to cancel the order that the scammers managed to place for a new phone using his account. And this is the way to bust up the scam. If you ever receive a call from your wireless provider offering you a free device, hang up and call your provider using a phone number that you obtained yourself from Google and make them confirm the details of the promotion. You need to also make sure that no new device has been ordered on your account without your permission.
"It's a scam. I was victim of this as well. Thankfully I contacted Virgin customer service on time and they were able to cancel the order on their own end. Funny thing is that scammer called me again next day as if it was first time!"-Reddit user karansinghreen
To show you how these scams work, check out the video we embedded in this story from Tech Support Scams. It's a fascinating look at how scams like this can take place.
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