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Man says Spectrum impostor pulled fast one on him

By Jason Stoogenke, wsoctv.com
By Jason Stoogenke, wsoctv.com

Bryan Smith builds and modifies high-performance engines, mainly for Mazda RX-7s. So, he’s used to calls from strangers. But not this one time. He told Action 9 attorney Jason Stoogenke he got a phone call from someone claiming to be with “Spectrum Special Promotions.”

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He says they offered him a convoluted deal. They would sign him up for a discounted bundle. He would have to put some money down, and they would ship him phones, but he could just send those back and not pay for them.

He went along with it.

“Two of them were $138, and the other one was like $118,” he said.

And things got even weirder. He says they signed him up with Spectrum for three more plans.

“I feel dumb because they talked me into it and I should’ve seen the red flag before I did it,” he said.

So, it seems the criminals got about $400 out of all this.

“I should have been more cautious,” he said. “I don’t want anybody to get taken like this.”

Obviously, criminals can pretend to be with any company.

“Like most large companies, we’re not immune to these types of scams. Most importantly, when a customer is suspicious, they should contact us to confirm the validity of any offer on our services,” Spectrum emailed Action 9. “Unfortunately, calls from scammers posing as a wide variety of service providers are all-too common. On our support site at Spectrum.net, we provide extensive information on how customers can avoid scams and spoofed calls and texts, and how to use Spectrum Voice features to reduce unwanted calls.”

Those resources include:

Stoogenke says if you have questions about TV or internet deals involving any company:

  • Reach out to the business directly.
  • Don’t rely on the number or email they used to contact you.
  • Be suspicious if the deal sounds confusing.  Legit companies try to keep promotions simple.

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