Your phone rings, you answer and it is Jessica from AT&T DirecTV in a very upbeat and bubbly voice, wanting to save you money on your AT&T DirecTV bill. The carefully scripted recording almost sounds like a real person and she wants to save you money. In fact, she claims she can cut your monthly bill in half. If you stay on the line long enough they will pass you to another operator, who will tell you that part of the deal is you need to go purchase pre-paid gift cards and read the numbers from the cards to them over the phone. The moment you read the numbers, the cards are effectively drained and no longer valid. They just took your money, just like that.

Here are three samples of the same robocall scam

The operator is likely from another country, using a VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) phone line which makes them untraceable, or at least extremely difficult to track.

AT&T DirecTV has already stated several times that this is not them and that they are trying to track down the culprits.

Why gift cards?
If you sent them cash, it could be traced. If you used a credit card or debit card, you could cancel the payment, but with gift cards, once you spend them (or in this case give them the numbers) the card is done and your money is gone.

Just remember, anytime a company wants you to pay them in a gift card, then hang up, it is a scam. No legitimate company will ever ask for payment in a gift card, period.

This same scam is often run, using the IRS or the power company instead of AT&T DirecTV.

I’m getting the DirecTV scam several times a week.

Class Action Law Suit for the DirecTV scam calls.