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C-A-R-E-F-U-L!  C-R-I-M-I-N-A-L-S TRYING TO STEAL YOUR DATA!

I'm also in the UK and everything pursebearer has said applies here too. I  got this call today (10-May-2008). The number on my caller display was 0000000000. The caller had a very strong Indian accent and it was difficult to understand him. He asked me if I had a Visa card or Master card, and when I said yes, he offered me a free vacation in Cancun, Mexico. He already knew my name and address details. When I hesitated, he went on into descriptions of the hotel on the beach and said everything was included. I asked him how I would get there. He did not understand that right away, so I asked him would the flight be included too and he said yes. I asked him for the catch and told him that no company would give out free vacations without getting some kind of benefit in return; that would not make good business sense. He repeatedly said, it would make good business sense, since the 'Master- and Visa Card Company' was "doing this to promote their good name". The phone number he gave me was 1-877-727-7605. And yes, he also told me this number was toll-free, but he obviously did not know that this does not apply to countries outside the US. He then wanted to know my credit card details, but - however much he tried to persuade me - I insisted I would never give out these details to an unsolicited caller. He upped the stakes then: not only would I have that free Cancun vacation, but also a free holiday in Orlando and Daytona, Florida, with all expenses (e.g. free Disneyworld pass) included. He also said that this was all above board, since these calls were monitored by their 'legal department'.

To persuade me further, he gave me some time to inspect the company's website, www.resortvacations.vip.com. I was sitting at the computer anyway and had a closer look at this website. It was for a travel agency called 'Vacations Resort', specialising in vacations in Orlando, Daytona, Bahamas Cruise and Cancun. I found this an odd combination, especially with view to the fact that there were no links in the site that would actually let you book anything! Next, I looked up their Terms & Conditions: an enormously long bumpf that referred to the company's website not as 'resortvacationsvip.com', but as 'PTPorlando.com'. So I had a look at that site too. And - lo and behold! - this looked exactly the same as the previous one, only instead of 'Vacations Resort' in the top left-hand corner, it displayed 'Perfect Travel Promotions Orlando'.

A closer look at the terms and conditions makes you wonder about this statement: "We do not offer any medical advice and nothing contained herein is intended to constitute professional advice, medical diagnosis or treatment." Further down it said (in the long disclaimer, all in capital letters): "THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE PTPorlando.com / HEALTH PAGES OF THIS WEBSITE CONCERNING HERBAL MEDICINE CONTAINS INFORMATION ABOUT HERBAL THERAPIES AND OTHER DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS, WHICH ARE NOT REGULATED IN THE UNITED STATES BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION." But there definitely are no 'health pages' on this website. Later, a very short bit of googling, showed that these T&Cs were copied from the website of villanaturamexico.com.

He soon phoned back, asking me if I liked the company on the website. I knew by now that this was a phishing attempt. So, to increase his phone bill and prevent him from using his time for more lucrative calls, I kept him talking and talking and pretended I still was interested in his lovely offer - without of course giving him my details. To give him a bait, I 'relented' and at least gave him my date of birth. Not my real one, of course!

Altogether, the old saying is paramount here: If it sounds too good to be true, then it isn't!

Had a very similar experience but they did not ask for my details as I suspect my suspicious manner put them off. Very glad I googled them first, but then I always do. Unfortunatly nothing is free in this world!!

This is a hoax. They wanted my credit card details to confirm that I was the person who had won this holiday. I said I couldn't give that detail over the phone the man then got a bit irrate because I think he felt that up to then I had been cooperative. I felt because of what they were wanting it was definately a hoax. I spoke to 3 different men all with Indian or Asian accent.