Recall rip-off preys on Toyota owners misdialing a Toll-free Number

By The Denver
Post

Posted: 02/18/2010
01:00:00 AM MST

Updated: 02/18/2010
02:04:06 AM MST

It didn’t take long for
scammers to latch on to the recall troubles at Toyota
and turn the company’s headaches into a rip-off payday.

The scam relies on
consumers misdialing the car company’s toll-free telephone number by a single
digit. Instead of the vehicle-recall folks, callers get a recorded message
quickly telling them of a surcharge they’ll pay for calling yet another number,
the Better Business Bureau warns.

Toyota‘s recall number is 800-331-4331.
Consumers who call receive information regarding the vehicles subject to the
massive recall regarding sticking gas pedals.

The scammers grabbed the
toll-free number that ends with 4431, hoping some callers would simply misdial.

They are directed to
another number because of the volume of calls. The other number charges them
$5.96 and asks for personal information such as a Social Security number.

BBB officials warn consumers to
ensure they have the right number.
David Migoya, The Denver Post

Perhaps this is an example of
why Toyota
should have set up a VANITY toll-free number.  People
wouldn’t misdial because they would recall the letters and word in the vanity
number better than they recall the numbers of the numeric toll-free. 

Call 1-800-NEW-SALE to learn more about how a vanity number, like
1-800-NEW-PARTS, could have saved Toyota‘s
customers time and money.