Odenza Scams

Public Service Announcement

September 1, 2009

Hang up when scammers call
ODENZA has noted an increase in several phone and email scams

In recent days ODENZA has noted a significant increase in the frequency of some common phone and email scams. The common thread in each scam is that fraud artists try to trick businesses by claiming to be a legitimate Odenza reseller.

It is important to note that Odenza Marketing Group Inc. is a highly respected company and has been in business for over a decade. All money that is sent to Odenza is held in a trust account. If a customer wishes to discontinue with their travel offer the money is refunded to them immediately.

People who provide personal information to fraudsters could suffer identity theft or other fraud. Personal information includes names, addresses, birthdates, account numbers, passwords, credit card numbers, etc.

ODENZA is warning customers to be aware of these frauds, and to just hang up when scammers call.

The scams are:

• Fraudulent email to ODENZA MARKETING GROUP customers. The email falsely states ODENZA is sending this email to all customers for ‘safety/maintenance from spam mails.’ It asks users to reply to the email with personal information including name and address. This email is a fraud. Delete it.
• Credit card limit increase phone scam. The fraudster claims to be with your credit card company and offers to increase your credit limit. They ask for information to verify who you are. If the caller was actually from your credit card company they wouldn’t have to ask for basic information, but would already have it. This is a scam. Hang up.
• Vehicle warranty. There are several variants of this scheme and in most cases the caller is attempting to sell a warranty extension for your vehicle. Several of the organizations behind these schemes have been banned from soliciting in some provinces and states due to misrepresentation of their products and failure to comply with local insurance laws. Exercise extreme caution.
• 809 Caribbean scam. The fraudster will try to convince the customer to call a number starting with 809 about winning a prize or a lawsuit or for information about an injured or ill family member. 809 is the country area code for the Dominican Republic, which lacks the robust phone laws you are accustomed to. When the victim calls back they are often put on hold for an extended period of time, racking up large phone bills.
• The 90# scam. This phone scam affects businesses with a commercial switchboard called a PBX. These systems have a feature that allows switchboard operators to give callers an outside line by dialing 9,0,#. Fraudsters take advantage of this feature by posing as a technician or other legitimate caller, and convincing operators to give them an outside line which they then use for an expensive overseas call. While residential phone customers cannot be directly affected by this scam they do get calls, which can often be frightening. Whether you are a business or residential phone user, this is a scam. Hang up.

ODENZA has received reports of these scams from customers across the United States and Canada. While there’s always some level of fraudulent activity being reported, in recent weeks ODENZA has seen a fourfold increase in reports from customers of all these scams. ODENZA expects most of the fraudulent calls are coming from outside of the United States and Canada.

If you receive a call you suspect is fraudulent, do not give out personal information and simply hang up. Legitimate telemarketers will always know your name and will always provide you with a number for you to call them back at your convenience.

If you believe you may have given personal information to a scam artist and need assistance securing your ODENZA account, please call ODENZA customer service at 1-877-451-7245.

For additional information about phone fraud, please visit:

www.odenza.com/privacy.asp
or
www.phonebusters.com

ODENZA is working with law officials to track the calls and identify the perpetrators of all scams it is aware of.

About Odenza Marketing Group Inc.

Odenza provides quality marketing solutions that give our select clients a competitive edge in their market. With a staff of 200 employees, in three countries, Odenza has been providing incentive travel products to companies for their promotions since 1998. Our marketing and advertising support team provides you with everything you need to make your promotion a success. We are members of the American Resort Development Association, New Car Dealers Association and the International Promotional Products Association. Our in-house travel agency is staffed by certified and experienced travel agents who work directly with your customers to book their vacations. We have direct partnerships with major airlines, cruise lines, hotels and resorts worldwide.

Contact:
Vera Tsang, Promotions Coordinator / Media Relations
Odenza Marketing Group Inc.
E-mail: vera ( @ ) odenza dot com
Corporate website: http://www.odenza.com
Travel booking website: http://www.odenzavacations.com
To view our privacy policy click here