A Scam Is Spreading Across North Dakota Targeting DirecTV Users

Scammers Continue to Get Creative

If you have satellite TV service with DirecTV or Dish, I want to share a scam that could cost you hundreds to thousands of dollars. I found this out firsthand yesterday, as I am a DirecTV customer.

How the Scam Works

Here's what happened. I received a phone call from an unrecognized number, so I let it go to voicemail, like I always do. When I listened to the message, the automated voice said it was DirecTV and my service contract was going to expire, and I needed to act now to avoid an increased monthly rate. This got my attention, as who can afford higher prices these days?

So, I called the number, and the message sounded pretty legit. I asked for customer service and got a foreign voice (which is pretty typical for DirecTV), and he told me my monthly price was set to increase by a substantial amount, unless I acted now on a special offer. Pay $750 dollars up front, and they would cut my monthly bill in half after that for 3 years. I was shocked. Who could afford to do something like this in this financial climate? So, I told him I would think about it and hung up.

Red Flags

I called them back later in the day, with the intention of cancelling my service. This time when I spoke to the representative, and I told him I was going to go elsewhere, he lowered the offer to $475 dollars upfront. I asked to speak to his supervisor, and he told me he was the guy. He also mentioned I would have to buy a DoorDash gift card, because this offer was thanks to them. He also told me that the cancellation fee was 300 dollars. I knew this wasn't right if my contract was actually up. At this point, the red flags were adding up.

I then decided to look up my DirecTV customer service phone number, something I should've done much earlier, and I quickly realized I was being targeted by a scam. What is really scary, the scammers actually knew how much my monthly DirecTV bill was.

The real DirecTV customer representative told me they have been seeing a rash of these types of calls from other North Dakota customers of late. They have also been promising fake upgrades to equipment, fake technician installations, fake merger upgrades, and fake missing payment alerts. All things costing North Dakotans potentially thousands. DirecTV also told me that Dish customers are being targeted.

If This Happens to You

DO NOT give out personal information, and especially bank or credit card info. They will steal your money. Then report your incident to law enforcement and the DirecTV fraud department.