Scam Buster!

Who you gonna call? Scam buster!

I think someone just tried to scam me. Well actually I know someone did.
So I'm sitting at work, minding my own business, and I get a phone call (on the work phone).

Here's what happened:

Phone rings. I answer.

Me: "This is Ashley."

Scammer: "Ashley Spears?"
Me: "No, this is Ashley ___ My Last Name___, do you have the correct number sir?" (I should not have told him my last name, b/c then he had it when before he obviously didn't... tricky tricky)

Scammer: "Oh, Ashley Norland (not my last name), I'm sorry. I was looking at the wrong line here."
Me: "Ok... (a little suspicious already) what can I help you with?"

Scammer: "I'm with the U.S. Publications Collection Agency and I have an invoice here that shows you have defrauded on a contract with a magazine subscription from 2007. Apparently you started the subscription with a Visa card and then stopped paying for the subscription. Now with compounded interest, it shows here that you owe $1500. If you would like to go ahead and pay for this matter, I can give you $1,000 off. All you would need to go ahead and pay is $500."
Me: "And which magazine did you say was this for?"

Scammer: "No collection agency in the U.S. would be able to give you that information. We don't even have that information. We respect the privacy of our customer's customers."

Me: "And what did you say my last name was again?"
Scammer: "Norland."

Me: "Yea, you don't have the right person. That is not my last name."

Scammer: "If you are refusing to pay, you will be receiving a small claims summons in the mail within the next week."

Me: "Well, that's really not my last name, so obviously you have the wrong person. And if a summons is the only way to deal with this, then I look forward to receiving that in the mail. I have no intention of paying you anything."

Then I hung up as he was still talking about ways we could settle this over the phone.

Our receptionist said he only asked for 'Ashley' so she didn't think twice about forwarding him to me. I'm the only Ashley here. I guess he got lucky with the most popular name of my generation.

Stupid Scammer. Don't be taken. And apparently don't tell them your last name.