Keto Supplement customer service says I owe big money! What is this scam?

There’s a new scam coming to your home phone. Aggressive, fake customer service agents are on duty, demanding payment for Keto supplements you didn’t order. 

I learned about this bizarre scam firsthand when a pushy, fast-talking woman called me to deliver an ultimatum. She told me that her company, Keto Supplements, wanted me to pay for the diet pills they’d sent me. If I didn’t give her a valid credit card immediately, she said, I would regret it. 

When I suggested she’d dialed the wrong number, she breathed a sigh of exasperation. I told her I’d never purchased diet products from her company or any other, but this caused her to become enraged. She said I had better pay — or else!  

Of course, I’m no stranger to call center scammers, but this one even surprised me. Her level of anger and confidence in her goal was astounding. But what was most startling about this particular con artist is what she knew about me. 

Here’s the latest in my series, Interviews with a Scammer: Michelle talks to the bad guys so you don’t have to. 

Keto Supplement customer service calling – or is it?

There I was, running on my treadmill, listening to some tunes, and minding my own business. Suddenly, my music was interrupted by the ringing of my phone. I glanced down and didn’t recognize the number on the display. 

However, it had an area code of 855  – one I associate with scammers. 

I briefly thought about skipping this call and continuing with my workout. But as it usually does, curiosity got the best of me. I’m always interested in learning about the latest tactics of the scammers prowling around. I hopped off the treadmill and answered the call of duty.

Me: Michelle Friedman.

Customer service scammer: Hello. How are you?

While I do typically engage in a little friendly banter with the con artists who call me, admittedly this day I had little patience for the person interrupting my end-of-the-day workout. I wanted to jump right into whatever scam this was.

Me: Where are you calling me from?

Scammer: I’m calling from Keto Supplement customer service and this is a very serious matter. 

Me: Oh, yeah, Keto Supplement customer service? What’s that? I’m not interested in buying any supplements.

Scammer: You know what it is. Keto is the diet supplement you ordered and you never paid for it. That’s why I’m calling you. Your credit card is expired so you need to update this now. 

Me: (Laughing) I don’t take any supplements and I definitely never ordered anything from Keto Supplements. You called the wrong person to try out this scam. 

The tone of this swindler, while initially stern, now turned irate and bizarrely offended. 

Scammer: How dare you? You’re the one who bought Keto diet pills, used them and now won’t pay for the product. This is a recorded call; everything you say will be used in court against you, lady! 

Bingo. There it was. 

Lady: the telltale tagline of a scam customer service center.

Red flag words scammers use that reveal themselves

I’ve talked to many scammers in my line of work, especially in the last several years. I’ve been following the rise of online scam call centers and others that invade our homes via our phones.

One thing I’ve noticed again and again is that many of these scammers pretending to be customer service agents use “lady” and “dear” to address their victims. There are several reasons for this tactic.

First, in most cases, the con artist doesn’t know their target’s name. They hope you don’t notice their lack of information before they can extract your details from you. 

Second, by calling you “lady” or “dear,” the scammer is trying to convey a sense of politeness which, in this region of the world, comes off instead as condescending and even rude.

But most scam customer service centers aren’t based in this region of the world. So the bad actors on the other end of the line are unaware that the words they’re using are not part of typical customer service in the countries they’re dialing. 

On this day, the strange caller was hitting all the marks. But then she gave me a surprise that startled even me.

This scammer did know my name and a whole lot more. 

More threats from a fake customer service agent

As I continued my call with the fraudster posing as a customer service agent or company debt collector (I wasn’t sure which), I moved over to my desk to start researching Keto scams. 

Yikes!

It seemed that the “new year, new me” mantra had spun out tons of diet-related scams in full force before people abandoned their New Year’s resolutions. (Note: This call took place in the first week of January)

Most of the scams involved would-be dieters who really did fall for some too-good-to-be-true offer to drop weight easily with the Keto supplements. These victims signed up for a free trial and then were locked into an auto-renewal scheme that seemed impossible to cancel.

But I also saw posts on Reddit and on news sites where consumers who had never had any interest in Keto or other diet products received threatening calls like the one I was in the middle of. 

I turned back to the situation at hand. 

Me: You’ve obviously targeted the wrong person. I’m not on a diet, I’ve never ordered Keto supplements and you’re a scammer. 

Scammer: Well, now I’ve recorded you admitting that you ordered Keto supplements from our company and refuse to pay.

Me: Is that what you just heard me say?

Scammer: I have your credit card here and I know your address (she then read back my actual home address). If you don’t give me the updated number to this credit card, I will sue you. 

For just a moment, this information knocked me a bit off-kilter. When she told me she had my address, it seemed vaguely threatening. But that last zinger is what did it for me.

The most concerning part of her narrative was that she did have the last four digits of one of my credit cards. Not a current credit card but one that had expired… nearly seven years ago. Still it was concerning.

I realized then that this scammer, or her affiliates, had purchased a list to steal from the people on it. I assumed her anger stemmed from the fact that her list didn’t have current information.

Time to get back to my workout and ruin this scammer’s day

It was getting late and I figured that I had learned everything I could usefully learn from this fraudster. I needed to get back to the treadmill.

Me: Ok, we’re done here. You really have called the wrong person, whether you believe it or not. I’m a consumer reporter. I’ve never ordered Keto anything, from anywhere. But thanks for your call. I will make sure to warn my readers to watch out for you and your associates. 

Scammer: I’m giving you one more chance before I file a lawsuit against you. I have you on a recorded line admitting you bought Keto supplements and refuse to pay for what you bought. 

Gaslighting at its finest. I wondered if her tactics had ever worked on anyone. 

Me: I have you on a recorded line too.  Good night. You should give your scam a break for a while. You sound very agitated. 

I hung up and then got back on my treadmill, but the conversation really bothered me. I wondered how many other people this predator was calling and maybe successfully convincing to hand over a current credit card to avoid a lawsuit or whatever else she was threatening.

What you need to know about fake customer service scams  

Unfortunately, scammers are infiltrating the internet, our phone systems, Facebook, and even the postal service. You have to be on guard to dodge these scammers. And if you have an elderly loved one, make sure that they’re aware of the danger lurking behind the ring of the phone.

Related: Help! Fake United Airlines customer service charged me a $1,750 fee

Here’s what to know about avoiding fake customer service scammers.

1. Don’t answer your phone

I never answer my home phone, and I recommend you don’t either. Most scammers will move on to someone else if they hit a voicemail. However, more bold predators may leave threatening messages ordering their target to call them back. This can certainly frighten people unaware of the aggressive lengths some bad guys might go to pursue a victim.

And to intimidate their potential victims is, of course, the intention of this type of criminal.

Google search can help alleviate your fears if someone leaves you a threatening message demanding payment or something else. Type the phone number into the Google search box and you will likely find that those ten digits have also harassed other people.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recommends that consumers report scam calls so that these numbers can be tracked and added to their database.

2. A scammer’s trick: spoofed numbers on your caller ID

Unfortunately, proficient scammers know how to conceal the number they’re actually calling from. They can make a company or even a trusted friend’s number show up in your caller ID. This leads many consumers to let their guard down and answer the call.

If you answer your phone and the person on the other end doesn’t sound like the person you expected to talk to, hang up. You can be sure you’ve dodged a scammer.

3. Ask for the customer service number you can use to call back

This is a simple way to avoid getting scammed. If anyone ever calls you asking for money, just ask for that person’s full name, title, and the number where you can reach them. A real person, at a real company will be happy to provide those details. 

A scammer will not be pleased with your request and will argue with you. That’s your cue to hang up. 

4. Sign up for identity monitoring

It is a fact of our modern day life that your personal details are everywhere…sometimes even your credit card information. Don’t be intimidated by a scammer who calls you and reveals they know part or all of your credit card information. Hang up and call your credit card company and sign up for identity monitoring because you may be at risk for identity theft. 

The bottom line

Unfortunately, scammers are out there in the world in full force. They want to steal your money and your identity. Stay aware of the latest schemes and scams and make sure your friends and family — young and old — also know how to spot and avoid the plague of fake customer service scammers.

Remember, Consumer Rescue is here to rescue you if you’ve got a consumer problem you can’t solve on your own. Our mediation service is always fast, friendly and of course, free of charge. (Michelle Couch-Friedman, Founder of Consumer Rescue)