Real or Scam?

AcroBoy

AcroBoy

Line Up and Wait
Joined
Jul 18, 2008
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Jim N
Got a call tonight from someone saying they were from AOPA, and knew my name and address, asking for renewal of my AOPA legal coverage.

He then went on to ask for my credit card number, which I refused to give. I asked how to do this online, and he said thank you, and hung up.

Sounded a bit like a scam- anyone have the same experience?
 
AcroBoy said:
Got a call tonight from someone saying they were from AOPA, and knew my name and address, asking for renewal of my AOPA legal coverage.

He then went on to ask for my credit card number, which I refused to give. I asked how to do this online, and he said thank you, and hung up.

Sounded a bit like a scam- anyone have the same experience?
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Sounds scammish to me too...could be cold calling, pulling your name and address from the FAA airman database, trying to use the AOPA name...
 
It sounds like a scam.

First, do you even have AOPA legal coverage to renew?

Unless I called AOPA Pilot Services, I have never been contacted on the phone by AOPA. I have been contacted by email or snail-mail.

The FAA Airmen Database is available for search and download. He could have gotten your name and address from the database (providing you are a certificated pilot, which I assume you are). Not sure where he might have gotten a phone number.
 
It sounds scamish. I have heard other say on the red board that they too are getting these calls. I think it wise to never give anyone my credit card number if they are calling me.
 
It sort of sounded like a scam, particularly when I asked if there was an alternate way of signing up and instead of answering he hung up.

I would never provide my credit card number over the phone to a blind call, but he did have my full name and address, and obviously my home phone number.
 
Is there any way to learn if AOPA (or any other organization) can sell or distribute your personal information without prior approval? Is such a practice legal?
 
I've NEVER been called by AOPA. Craploads of mail to renew (both when I was a member, and for several years afterwards)...

If you want to renew, go online.
 
If you get a call like this, ask the caller to tell YOU your AOPA #... not saying I'd give my credit card number, but if somebody's pulling info from the FAA database and going on a phishing expedition, they won't have your AOPA member number as part of that dataset. And, if they are from AOPA, they should be able to answer that challenge.

Did your caller ID show anything useful?
 
TangoWhiskey said:
If you get a call like this, ask the caller to tell YOU your AOPA #... not saying I'd give my credit card number, but if somebody's pulling info from the FAA database and going on a phishing expedition, they won't have your AOPA member number as part of that dataset. And, if they are from AOPA, they should be able to answer that challenge.

Did your caller ID show anything useful?
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Not only your AOPA number, but your anniversary date.
 
TangoWhiskey said:
If you get a call like this, ask the caller to tell YOU your AOPA #... not saying I'd give my credit card number, but if somebody's pulling info from the FAA database and going on a phishing expedition, they won't have your AOPA member number as part of that dataset. And, if they are from AOPA, they should be able to answer that challenge.

Did your caller ID show anything useful?
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My problem there is he could make something up and I'd have no clue...no clue what my aopa number is!
 
JeffDG said:
My problem there is he could make something up and I'd have no clue...no clue what my aopa number is!
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Once you are logged into the primary website (aopa.org), Click on "Membership Services >> Manage my membership. The info will be in the on that page.
 
AggieMike88 said:
Once you are logged into the primary website (aopa.org), Click on "Membership Services >> Manage my membership. The info will be in the on that page.
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I know that...but if some ID10T is on the phone, I'm not going to do that to verify his identity.

My general trick is to say, "Hey, let me call you back at the number on the back of my card, ok?"
 
I got called by someone claiming to be from my bank trying to get information to sell me a new mortgage. I told them that if they were from my bank, they all ready had all the info they needed to see if a different mortgage was good for me. They quickly hung up.

I think they're at it again though, as I am once again being deluged by mailings for folks who want to sell me a new mortgage.
 
JeffDG said:
My general trick is to say, "Hey, let me call you back at the number on the back of my card, ok?"
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My solution is to say, "I don't renew subscriptions/donate/buy stuff, etc. over the phone. If they keep talking, CLICK. I won't even try to be polite.
 
steingar said:
I got called by someone claiming to be from my bank trying to get information to sell me a new mortgage. I told them that if they were from my bank, they all ready had all the info they needed to see if a different mortgage was good for me. They quickly hung up.

I think they're at it again though, as I am once again being deluged by mailings for folks who want to sell me a new mortgage.
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What's really funny is when one of those letters is addressed to my son who lives at home. He doesn't own a home. Those letters help fill the recycling bin.
 
I got the same call from someone representing themselves as needing to update my AOPA membership info with a credit card expiration. They gave me the last four digits of "my" credit card number and when I told him that didn't match anything I had he offered me some authentication information like the OP and asked for my card number and expiration. I refused and reported the call to the AOPA. If it was AOPA, shame on AOPA. If it was a scammer then the rascals ought to be....
 
My personal fave is the collection calls I get. Most of them come up on the CID as "Toll Free Call"

Now my wife and I have our last name and first initials in the phonebook. I get collection calls for every first name in the book (hilarious) although one from a company called DRS was actually for my name. Cue Nancy! (the former employee that apparently recorded the message)

Hmm, curious (because I haven't missed a bill in over 15 years, much less left one delinquent) I took the call. Asking for this and that, and I refused to give them my information (I don't give my SSN out to anyone, tough luck) and finally get them to say they were looking for payment on a bill for such and such address. The problem was the dates. They were looking for bill payment on something that was ~5 years after I moved from there. I did not tell them this. After looking up the company online I had found they were one step from full blown scammers. I simply told them it was obviously past SOL (cue the "you're scum" "deadbeat" "pay your bills" chants) and if they believed I owed them the money to sue me. I also informed them to forward all future correspondence to my attorney (Mr. X) at X, Y, & Z law firm oh, and this is Wisconsin, so I've recorded the whole call. Oh, and your bosses can expect a letter from my attorney informing you of all the legal niceties. Yes, I did have my attorney send the letter.

I haven't heard from them again. In fact my telemarketing calls (in particular the debt collection calls for James, Jessica, Jonathon, Jim, et al.) have dropped as well.
 
I sent an email to AOPA asking if calling was their practice, but no response yet. I remember getting similar calls asking to join the Air Safety Foundation, but declined. Hope AOPA follows this board- would like to see their response.
 
Got an email today from AOPA, and it was legit. Turns out AOPA contracts out their renewal services for phone solicitation to an outside vendor.

They were very apologetic, said they would remove my name from the calling list, and also stated they were going to review the phone procedures with the vendor.

Overall, an excellent response.
 
AcroBoy said:
I sent an email to AOPA asking if calling was their practice, but no response yet. I remember getting similar calls asking to join the Air Safety Foundation, but declined. Hope AOPA follows this board- would like to see their response.
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THAT ONE got me torqued off. About 3 years ago I had to get my attorney to write a letter threatening to file suit against AOPA to get them to drop their charges and collection efforts after they enrolled me in their Safety Foundation program without my authorization. :incazzato::incazzato:
 
Doggtyred said:
I've NEVER been called by AOPA. Craploads of mail to renew (both when I was a member, and for several years afterwards)...

If you want to renew, go online.
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I got a call to renew AOPA and did (give my credit card number.)

I got my hat in the mail.
 
JesseD said:
My personal fave is the collection calls I get. Most of them come up on the CID as "Toll Free Call"

Now my wife and I have our last name and first initials in the phonebook. I get collection calls for every first name in the book (hilarious) although one from a company called DRS was actually for my name. Cue Nancy! (the former employee that apparently recorded the message)
...
Click to expand...

Welcome to my world. I like the techie satisfaction I get by adding their number to the phone's blocked numbers list. But the #$%^& thing only holds 10 numbers. I cleared it out of the flurry of political calls but I'm adding again.

I gave "CAB" 3 full chances to TALK after calling repeatedly for week and making me get up. Today they went into the blocked list.
 
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