Got a call randomly, i almost answered because it was similar to my area code (misread it as 417, which is mine).

A man with a thick and unrecognizable accent offered me two gift cards for two local "big stores", (Walmart & Target, to be specific) in total, offering me over $200.00 in free merchandise on these two Gift Cards... but in order to receive the cards I needed to purchase the shipping costs for the Gift Cards with one of my Credit Cards(WTF?), at what i remember to be around $5.90, to be paid for with a credit card!

I was immediately suspicious of the caller....

At first, I let the call go to "Voicemail", however, no message was left... I waited for about 6 minuets before I used the "Call-Blocking Prefix: *67" in order to hide my identity from the offending caller. He asked for my 12 digit card number, and I then asked if the 3 digit # on the reverse side of my card was going to be requested from me, and he asked me to hold on for one sec. so that he could speak with his supervisor... but before I let him put me on hold I asked if there was anyway to have the ability to use a commonly accepted "US POSTAL $$$ Order" in order to pay the shipment costs (as I could have really used this financial opportunity at his time), and at this point he asked for a number that I could be reached at after he was able to secure the info that I was asking for (the $$Order options), proving that the protective code *67 does indeed work in defense for keeping your cell number private when you return their call after waiting for them to leave you a "Business-Like" message to return their call, like a REAL Business would/should be doing!

Now, instead of giving him the Cell # that his "Operation" originally called me on... I, instead chose to give him my home phone number instead, and he stated that he would reach back out to my about my requests, (This original phone contact attempt to reach me on my Cell #, occurred on 04/08/15 (yesterday at 4:27 PST), I called back this number @ 4:30pm: (415)-477-1080, (with the *67- ID protection prefix), and they had no idea who I was but DID try to get the 16 digit Card # on the front of my card... and I still have yet to receive a response to my questions about why I could not use a LEGITIMATE US POSTAL $$ ORDER to make the payment for shipment of the cards that I had been chosen to receive, or WIN.

In my opinion, this is a SCAMMER trying to get me to give them/him my personal financial information to gain access to my Credit Card(s)!!!

If I were to go through this all over again,,, I would have asked to speak to a manager as soon as I felt the "Sketchiness" of the questioning of the person (Male) that I was dealing with (with the *67 ID protection prefix code) during this very suspicious interaction with this so-called "Business"!!

STAY AWAY FROM THIS NUMBER..... Or, just be very careful when giving up your personal financial information to this seemingly VERY sketchy group of folks.

With all appropriate regards,
The Busryder

Thank you for reading this, I hope that it helps even ONE person... and then I will feel as though that I haven't wasted the time that It has taken to share my story by typing it out here for all to see... good luck out there, and don't trust ANY of these Scam-Artists praying on the less fortunate, the unaware, and the psychologically susceptible to this type of victimizationally prone portions of the American population!

It's like Clint Eastwood has said... "Hang 'em High"!

Its ILLEGAL to ask for money to receive it:

Prize Offers: You Don’t Have to Pay to Play!
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/telemarketing/tel17.shtm
http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/scam-alerts
http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0076-telemarketing-scams

Consider getting a call blocking device or phone.. You can google them and many are around $40.00 or so. If its a cell phone, some already have call blocking, if not, there are free apps on the web that will work for some. You can google this. If you have a smart phone, there is a free app called call control. Iphones appear to have apps also. Another one is called Mr. Number.

Report your callers here, not just to the DNC alone:

https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/#&panel1-1
https://esupport.fcc.gov/ccmsforms/form1088.action
https://complaints.donotcall.gov/complaint/complaintcheck.aspx?panel=2

For text messages: forwarding any text message spam you get to the short code  “7726,” which spells “spam” on most phones, to alert your network operator to the abuse. ATT won't accept 7726 But they will accept BLOCK and return a message that the web site is blocked. forward the texts to 7726 or BLOCK, depending on your phone carrier.

By State DNC lists:
http://800notes.com/res/DoNotCall.aspx

FCC Abandoned Calls Complaint form:
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/1088D-R.pdf
email:  fccinfo@fcc.gov

To file complaints on Foreign company's:
eConsumer.gov: Report Your Complaint
E-mail: econsumerwb@ftc.gov

I just got the same phone call but thankfully I used this site to check it out before I answered it.  I let it go to vm but no message was left.  Thank you for your post busryder!  Hopefully this saves another person.

I receive calls about twice weekly for about a month.  I have this number blocked.