Comments on: IP-Relay Scam

By: tim

tim — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 05:40:13 +0000

I’maSBOan got a relay call caller wanted me to fix his truck in ca. I’m in fl they said it would be towed to my shop. Then he wanted me to charge a card 3500.00 for the repairs and so I could pay the tow bill!
I ran the card it went thrue as he was holding the line. Then he was gone the operator then said that mabe
i should look relay scams online.So i did then voided the transaction. I have an email that we also used to talk. I talked to the local police they had never heard of relay scams and told me that it did not sound like a scam!!! but to save the emails and the transaction deatils. Also had a relay call were they wanted me to order a bunch parts this has all taken place in the last month.
guss I will have my number removed from the relay list wich will leave a “d/hh” person in my area
with one less honest repair shop.

By: relay_operator

relay_operator — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 04:33:36 +0000

hi Melissa. :-) yeah i think there would be no harm if you’ll use text relay (any brand) as long as you inform your friends and family, ’cause some first time relay receivers refuse to accept it (they think it’s weird). we get 911 calls, business calls, family calls, everything. and then there’s the scam calls, which takes up thrice the call volume than all legitimate calls put together. sigh…

By: Melissa Ruth

Melissa Ruth — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 04:06:49 +0000

I’m hearing impaired but have only been so for approximately 4 years. I have recently been strongly considering using relay or video phones but haven’t seen the point of a video phone as I don’t know asl. This topic is very interesting to me and I’ve learned alot just by reading it! Thanks for posting it! I primarily use text to talk to most of my family so have been considering going to a data only cell phone plan but am leary…what you have shared makes me think otherwise.

By: relay_operator

relay_operator — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 06:06:24 +0000

i’m a relay opr and i can attest personally that scam calls are so rampant they’re taking up almost 75% of our calls every single day. i recommend http://www.stoprelayabuse.com if you want to know more about how these scammers (mostly Nigerians) operate through relay. what puzzles me is how they can use the service since it is only available here in the US. i think the scammers are working in a call center or something, like it’s probably a company, because their messages are always the same, as though it is scripted. they make purchases and insists on paying over the phone using a stolen credit card. again, check the website i mentioned.
what’s funny about them sometimes is that it’s obvious that they’re not americans and still they try so hard to seem like one, using american names and stuff. i even had a scammer who identified himself as “Chris Brown” and i almost wanted to tell that i’m Rihanna.
if you have questions for a relay opr like me, i’ll answer them the next time i come back in this page. :-)

By: Maryellen

Maryellen — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 19:55:44 +0000

I heard about another scam this morning concerning VRS. At first, I thought it was the same issue discussed in the above article, but it is quite different. I would be glad to do a write-up of this scam to explain the situation if anyone is interested in it.

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 00:22:50 +0000

Please edit your post to clarify that VRS (Video RELAY Service) is the free service and VRI (Video REMOTE Interpreter) is a pay-per-use service. Businesses can contract with a video interpreter company to buy “time” with an interpreter for VRI. You may wish to correct your last paragraph.

Also, for anyone using a RELAY service of any type, please be patient with the company’s process for verifying your identity. All the codes, passwords, and secret questions are used to protect you and your transactions. If a company does not ask to identify you, you might wish to identify THEM. Remember, you may be a male, and the caller hears a female interpreter’s voice. It can be very important to ensure your identity.

Tip: The more clear you are, the better your interpreter can “work” and provide accurate interpretations!

By: matilda porter

matilda porter — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 12:27:31 +0000

Been scammed via IP Relay. Tell us your story here! Visa & MasterCard Fraud Contact Information included

By: jncutt

jncutt — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 02:32:24 +0000

Bradley….One clarification need to be addressed… FCC does not pay the VRS provides…FCC hired NECA (National Exchange Carrier Associaton) to handle the payments to the VRS providers. NECA reports to FCC on the statistics and paymetns.

Secondly, I would highly recommend all of you to list all your numbers (including Videophones) to the http://www.donotcall.gov . You have to list all the videophone numbers you have to prevent it. I did it and it helped. All VRS Provider has not control over this to prevent it. Just for your informations.

THanks

James

By: Bradley Porche

Bradley Porche — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:58:34 +0000

Maryellen,

I am glad you are clarifying the issue, what the scam is about. On ABC13, they had a customer alert and explained that someone was using the i711.com relay. The reporter explained and said that the scammer would obtain a phone number that is registered through an i711.com and place that phone number on a newspaper. Once someone sees a newspaper flyer on something that is selling, what the customer would have to do is call the i711.com number and leave a message. The scammer would call back to the customer’s number through an i711.com relay and instruct the customer on what to do with the money.

Unfortunately, not a lot of hearing people realize to take note of the interpreter’s ID number so that way things can be followed up. That is why it is so important to take note of the interpreter’s ID number that way it can be traced though the ip address.

You are right, not only a hearing person can abuse the relay service but the deaf and hard of hearing as well. I can think of many examples!

By: Maryellen

Maryellen — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:43:01 +0000

Good article.. However, I’m a little confused on what the “scam” is. Can you clarify? Is it hearing people using ip-relay to make phone calls so that they cannot be identified via caller ID and/or their voice? Are people using the service to pose as another person? Are the peple using ip-relay to conduct illegal actions so that they cannot be identified (although, I am thinkin they can possibly be caught by looking up their ip addresses)?

Funny thing is, when I read anything about people abusing the system that has been created for us D/HH people so that we can have an almost-equal access to communication, I immediately think of hearing people. However, we all have to remind ourselves and others that not only hearing people but I’m sure there are lots of D/HH people out there that are abusing the very systems that were designed to help them.