Calls are being made to homes with Dish Network satellite service where residents are being asked to participate in a promotion, which is really a scam.  

The problem is the caller ID shows “Dish Network 800.333.3474” which incidentally is the correct number for Dish.  This makes it appear legitimate.  Once someone answers the phone, they verify the name of the account holder and then they go over the details of the promotion and state information from the subscriber’s account, which further leads the person answering the phone to believe the call is legitimate. They will tell the subscriber what his/her monthly bill amount is (correct amount) and ask them if they are willing to pay upfront for six months then the next six months are free.  They also offer HBO and Cinemax for free. 

They then say that the way to pay for the promotion is not through the usual way Dish Network bills are paid, but through a Green Dot Money Pack card.  

They ask the person on the phone to go buy that card for the amount of the six months and say that they will call later to get the authorization code from that card. 

To prove they are real, they are able to add HBO and/or other premium channels to the account (because they have illegitimate access to it). 

Dish subscribers are advised to not do anything these callers tell them to do, and to immediately contact Dish Network themselves and notify them of the scam.  They should also monitor their Dish account and credit card (or bank) accounts used to pay for Dish for any unauthorized charges. People should avoid giving any personal or access information to these callers, regardless of what the caller ID reads.