Let me start off by saying I don't know what I am talking about. 

 

My parents had purchased a new home about two weeks short of a year ago. In the past month or so, telemarketers have been relentlessly calling trying to get my parents to refinance at a lower rate, something to the tune of .5% less than they are paying now.

 

They claim to be VA affiliated, but are certainly not the VA and are some private enterprise. I am not quite sure how they claim to be affiliated since I don't talk to them. My parents loan is through the VA. One thing that concerned me a bit is at one point they mentioned something about my dad being 20% disabled when he isn't at all.

 

Is this fishy?

 

They requested some information from my parents. They were asking for a picture of my moms DL, and are sending my parents some information that they will have a lawyer look at. At the same time, they are asking for some info from my parents (bills or something like that).

 

I'm very skeptical. I generally distrust anyone that calls my house unsolicited.  

Let me start off by saying I don't know what I am talking about. 

 

My parents had purchased a new home about two weeks short of a year ago. In the past month or so, telemarketers have been relentlessly calling trying to get my parents to refinance at a lower rate, something to the tune of .5% less than they are paying now.

 

They claim to be VA affiliated, but are certainly not the VA and are some private enterprise. I am not quite sure how they claim to be affiliated since I don't talk to them. My parents loan is through the VA. One thing that concerned me a bit is at one point they mentioned something about my dad being 20% disabled when he isn't at all.

 

Is this fishy?

 

They requested some information from my parents. They were asking for a picture of my moms DL, and are sending my parents some information that they will have a lawyer look at. At the same time, they are asking for some info from my parents (bills or something like that).

 

I'm very skeptical. I generally distrust anyone that calls my house unsolicited.  

 

Yeah, this is a JDFR, to me..... I'd distrust anyone that calls me "unsolicited and unverified" and asks for P.I.I.  If I had any interest in whatever it was they were offering (which I wouldn't anyway), I'd ask for a number to call them back and then try to verify independently.

Tell you parents to run, not walk away from this.  Don't give them anything.  There are plenty of places they can turn to if they want to refi, don't do it with strangers that call out of the blue.

Read up on "Social Engineering". Please make sure your parents don't give them any personal identifiable information. Not one thing. Next time they call, tell them you're not interested and to take your name and number off their list.

post 3 & 4 nailed it. The only I could add and may (or may not) apply is those prey on the elderly are very resourceful and don’t care who they hurt.  Those callers could  be spoofing your folks’ caller ID. It may look legit but they could be anywhere in the world spoofing your folks CID box. It may have a 800 # or even a PA or NY area code but they could be in China for all we know....

Yeah.. I believe I finally got them to stop calling.

 

I don't believe it was 'social engineering' as the company they were representing appeared to be a legitimate company with a horrendous reputation for crap like this. What really threw me off was the VA bit, as their letter mailings strongly resembled official literature. 

I've gotten the same thing. Purchased my home almost three years ago and my name must have been put on top of some list. Gotten tons of automated calls, letters and live operators trying to convince me I'm paying too much. They were pretty vague during the initial few minutes gathering info. Since I'm used to toner and paper scams from my work, I know how to dance around each question without answering anything. The calls and letters have stopped but we still get an automated call once every two to three weeks.

I've gotten the same thing. Purchased my home almost three years ago and my name must have been put on top of some list. Gotten tons of automated calls, letters and live operators trying to convince me I'm paying too much. They were pretty vague during the initial few minutes gathering info. Since I'm used to toner and paper scams from my work, I know how to dance around each question without answering anything. The calls and letters have stopped but we still get an automated call once every two to three weeks.

 

Caller ID is a wonderful thing. If I don't recognize the number calling me, I let the machine pick up. 99.9999% of the time, a message is never left.

Those kinds of outfits give the mortgage business a bad name, unfortunately.  I've been in the business for almost 14 years now, and can tell you horror stories of clients having been affected by unscrupulous business practices.  It's a shame.  There are multiple banking violations in the OP's story. 

I don't give in on any telemarketing no matter what. I usually just say, not interested and hang up. I owe them no civility because they are not suppose to call. What ever happened to the Do Not Call List...?

Bad enough they interrupt you during dinner or while relaxing at late hours. Screw'em...

 

The next time they call, in a Jamaican accent, tell them, "I'm a calypso singer" and hang up. You'll confuse the piss out of them...lol

I don't give in on any telemarketing no matter what. I usually just say, not interested and hang up. I owe them no civility because they are not suppose to call. What ever happened to the Do Not Call List...?

Bad enough they interrupt you during dinner or while relaxing at late hours. Screw'em...

 

The next time they call, in a Jamaican accent, tell them, "I'm a calypso singer" and hang up. You'll confuse the piss out of them...lol

 

One trick, if you have the patience for it, is to tie them up on the phone for maybe 1/2hr - 1hr asking them all kinds of questions on the product. THEN say "No" and hang up!  We used to do that with political campaign callers.... We'd lead them on for maybe 1/2hr - 1hr with all kinds of questions. Then we'd ask "how many calls could you have made?"... then we'd say we're voting for <Insert name of opposing candidate> and then hang up!  :D