I received a phone call today from a New York number. I answered and a man with a heavy accent (no expert, but...sounded Arab to me) had me verify that I was who I was (by name only), then he told me that he was with the United States Investigations Bureau. He asked me to relay a message to my ex-husband asking him to call him back (an Officer Harry Jolson) at the #518-565-0326...incidentally the same number showing up on my caller ID. Before the conversation had officially ended, the connection started breaking up. We were disconnected. I immediately called back, and half-expecting to reach a receptionist desk was surprised to find this "Officer Jolson" answer the phone, "Is this (used my name)?" I said, "Yes." He reasserted the need for me to relay the message to my ex-husband and the conversation was ended. As soon as I got off the phone with him, he called back this time asking for my ex-husband directly. After I revealed that he had again called me, he apologized for the mistake.
I immediately got online to research the United States Investigations Bureau to see what types of cases this organization deals with. I was met with many complaints and reports of fraud. I immediately called to confront them. The man I had talked to previously answered the phone. He answered, "Tom Johnson". I said, "What did you say?" He repeated. I said, "I just talked to you minutes before and you presented yourself as an Officer Harry Jolson." I could sense tension as he stammered to explain how he worked at the receptions desk and that though HE was Tom Johnson, he REPRESENTED the offices of Harry Jolson." He asked me who I needed to be directed to. I repeated that he was panning out so far to be a scam artist. Interupting me he told me he would direct me to Officer Harry Jolson and put me on hold. A small time later THIS SAME VOICE answers the phone. He presents himself as "Officer Harry Jolson". I say, "Really? You are the same person I was talking to earlier." Again, he becomes all disconbobulated by my response and garbles some semblance of a thought that he will get his supervisor for me. Another man (same heavy accent) answers the phone. This different man asks me what my problem is. I told him of the correspondence his company had recently had with me, my internet research, and the fact that the previous fellow had already tried to pass himself off to me as 2 separate people. This man asked me for my name. I replied, "My name is irrelevant to the fact that you are a scam." He told me to never call there again and hung up on me. I came to one report I'd found (one from ripoffreport.com) and decided to comment as this other report had many similarities and I would be willing to bet are the same people.
I'm not sure EXACTLY what their intentions were, however, to me it is clear that they are up to no good. Be aware! |
