RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) - A scam recently surfaced in theRichmond, Virginia area that targets Hispanic citizens who subscribe to DirecTV®, according to Tom Gallagher with the Better Business Bureau of Central Virginia.
Gallagher said a growing number of complaints have been reported by the City of Richmond's Hispanic Liaison Office. The complaints allege a caller, who is believed to be Hispanic, is posing as a representative of DirecTV, the nationwide satellite-TV provider.
The called promises he will provide DirecTV for just one dollar a day. In order to get the deal, the subscriber must make a one-year payment of $365 in advance.
The customer is told to buy a Green Dot® MoneyPak® pre-paid card and load it with $365. Once that is done, the customer is told to call a Philadelphia-area number and disclose his or her PIN so that the funds can be collected, Gallagher.
Neither Green Dot nor DirecTV are implicated in this scam.
"Consumers should be absolutely sure with whom they're dealing on the phone. Never divulge a PIN of any kind to a stranger. Also, ask for offers to be sent to you in writing or contact your provider directly to verify any offer" advised Gallagher.
It is believed that a higher percentage of Hispanics subscribe to DirecTV in order to access a wider range of Spanish-speaking programs.
