Conference Scam 101

As an owner of both a Target and Home Depot credit card you can imagine my degree of concern when the giant customer databases of both were hacked earlier this year.

My credit score is shaky enough without some cybercriminal charging a top of the line Weber Grill or a set of patio furniture to my accounts. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one, dreading to open up the monthly statements of each.

Fortunately my accounts remained status quo. If they had suffered a breach I prayed it would be some understanding hacker who in a rare turn of kindness deleted all my balances.

But no such luck.

Not too long ago, I wrote in this space about how someone posing as an IRS representative declared that he could settle all my outstanding debt to the agency if I would kindly forward my credit card information.

I didn’t think that could be topped until I received a call from someone who was obviously calling from overseas and badly mangled the pronunciation of my last name. He understood that I was a speaker at December’s AICPA Digital CPA Conference in Las Vegas and generously offered to help secure my hotel accommodations.

As scams go, this was a new one.

The conversation went something like this:

Scammer: “I am working with the AICPA and because of a last minute booking at the hotel there are only six rooms left. So I need your credit card number so I can reserve your room.”

Me: “Thank you, but as a speaker my room is already reserved and blocked off.”

Scammer: “Yes, but like I said, there are only a few rooms left.”

Me: “Speaker rooms usually go on a master account. The only time you need a credit card is at check-in for incidentals.”

Scammer: “We only need the information to secure the room.”

Me: “Like I told you the room is already blocked off. And by the way who are you working with at the AICPA?”

The ensuing silence on the other end was broken with the sound of me hanging up.

I quickly alerted the AICPA about my experience and hopefully no one else was lucky enough to receive a similar call. But if you do, you now know you can have a little fun with it.

But if the same guy calls back offering a deal on a Weber Grill I know I’m in trouble.