DirecTV text message scam targets customers with fake promotional offers

Watch out for a promotional TV offer that is too good to be true and is costing customers hundreds of dollars.

The scammers behind this scheme are good as they have just enough of your account information, plus they use technology to make it appear they're really with DirecTV.

The scammers are sending text messages along with phone calls and emails that claim to offer a huge discount to all existing customers. If you call the number given, it does sounds like you reached DirecTV. One viewer says she lost $300 to this scam. Another viewer lost $425 after scammers pretending to be with DirecTV changed his programming.

Several viewers say they were offered a great deal to continue their service, and all they had to do was to pre-pay the next few months of service in gift cards. A Raleigh woman lost $300 to this scam.

That is where this scam comes in, as the bad guys want you to read the numbers off the back of the gift cards and after you do that, you eventually learn this was all a scam.

The Troubleshooter Takeaways are that if you are asked to pay with gift cards, prepaid cards or wire money, that's a sure sign it's a scam. Also, call the number on your bill if you have questions about your service, not the one that shows up on your caller ID.

Another tip - companies like DirecTV allow you to add a password or 4-digit code to get access to your account. You should take the company up on this. AT&T does warn it's customers about this scam on their website.