Phone calls offering gifts/prizes!

A few days back I got a call to my home phone wherein a person introduced herself with an American sounding name. She had a heavy ascent but as she talked,I realised that she was Indian,all that heavy ascent could not hide that.
She called to say that I had won some prize because I had used my credit card at some gas station and that they were offering me some coupons for $100 worth of free gas!!! She had my home address details with her and told me that for just $5 shipping and handling(which I have to pay),She will send me the coupons.


It is my husband who usually fills gas in both our cars and to my knowledge,I had used my card to fill gas only once till date.I was wondering how she had called me and offered a prize for just this one-time usage!! I found the whole thing phoney and told her just that and kept the phone down.

After this incident,I was left wondering,how often this must be happening.I don't know if people are using such means to earn money. The offer is too tempting and many may fall prey to this---they will send $5 to this person and will never get the coupons. If that person gets just 10 such people a day,she will may $50 in a day cheating people.

Have any of you encountered such cases?

Hi Sunitha,

Welcome to the club. I have gone through this so many times, its just frustrating. Ofcourse after the " no telemarketing list " was introduced, it is now much better. Sunitha, check if your phone number is published in the White pages. if yes, it will also list your address. The only other way they could have got this information is if the credit card company gave it to them for their promotions.

It is difficult to know who is real and who is phoney in these calls. But in general i follow the policy of not accepting any offers like what you got over the phone.

Vandhana