Account Services Telemarketer Attempted identity theft and verbal abuse. Mankato, Minnesota

I received a phone call today from "Account Services". I have received calls from them in the past. An automated message greets me and tells me that I should "press 1" if I am interested in lowering my credit rate. I have spoken with an actual person 2/3 times that I "pressed 1".

The first time they called, I went through the automated message and spoke with a woman. She asked if I had gotten an automated message about my credit rate, almost as if she wasn't totally sure why she was speaking with me. I said yes, and she asked me if I wanted to lower my credit rate. I said, "Well... should I? I assume you have some information that led you to call me." She seemed frustrated by my answer, but then asked me how much debt I had. I said that I didn't know of the top of my head, as I was in the car at the time (they called my cell phone). Seeming more annoyed than interested in gaining a customer, she then asked how many credit cards I had. I replied, "Well... I have store specific cards, and I guess my Target card is an actual Visa." At that point she hung up on me.

I was very confused by the call, and especially perplexed by her attitude. I could not fathom how she expected to gain customers. I looked up the company that she named when answering the call (Account Services), and found other similar complaints and "scam" reports.

The second time that I "pressed 1" I got a different automated message that told me all of their representatives were busy. I was not put on hold or given info to contact them further if I wanted their services. The call just ended.

Today, after I "pressed 1", I spoke with a man. He gave me the same company name and then asked if I wanted to lower my credit rate. Perhaps foolishly, I told him that I knew this was a scam and that I wasn't going to give him anything. Rather than address my concern and attempt to convince me that he worked for an honest company. He asked how I knew it was a scam, to which I said "I've seen it reported on the news. I'm not an idiot so I'll save you some time. Just call some other idiot." I think he interjected something in there. I don't recall what it was, but after I finished he said: "I already did. I'm on the phone with you." I then commented that calling potential customers idiots wasn't a great business practice. He said that I had called him an idiot, so I clarified: "No. I said you should call some OTHER idiot, not that you were an idiot. However, you just called me an idiot, so even if you were legit, I wouldn't do business with you." He continued to argue, but I no longer had the phone to my ear when I said "&#@$ you" and hung up.

I am amazed to think of what sort of person would not pick up on their careless, rude attitudes and actually give them their credit info.