888-228-5888

*****BEWARE*****

A few days ago this number 888-228-5888 (TOLL FREE CALL) on caller ID called my (Unlisted) home phone and an automated voice said it was Spear Research company who, on behalf of Verizon Wireless, was doing a study of customers who had MobileTV on their Verizon Phones. They said they would call back in a couple of days to see if I would be interested in doing this study for Verizon.

They called back tonight and ironically it was the same voice as the recording. They offered incentives of $50 (payable by Verizon) to customers who agreed to be in the study, then after 3 months (Verizon) would send an additional $25. All I had to do was agree to put "tracking" software on my cell phone so that Verizon could monitor what programs I was watching. They asked for my birthday, my name, demographic information...it wasn't until they asked for my address did my "red flag" go on...because Verizon would already have this information...The person I was talking to was VERY nice and VERY CONVINCING...even said she had been the victim of fraud herself so she understood that I might want to verify this with Verizon. So,

I called Verizon's customer service number (*611) on my cell while on the phone with "Spear Research" on my land line. Verizon's customer service associate said they have never heard of this company, would have no reason to put  tracking software of any kind on any phone and that this sounded like a phishing scam.

UPDATE ON SPEAR ISSUE ABOVE:

I just received an email from a Verizon manager. Spears is a legitimate business however Verizon customer service people were not aware of this study. PHEW! Now I can breathe a sigh of relief that my info hasn't landed in the wrong hands!

It always pays to be cautious however.

Verizon called you back and said it was a legitamte company and you feel comfortable now? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...........I got some land.......

I just got 2 calls from this number 2 hours apart, I listened to part of the first call and it sounded like a recording like the dialogue mentioned on this blog.