The Dish Network is a popular satellite television and Internet provider used by millions of people, which is why it is a good hook for scammers who are calling people purporting to be Dish Network technicians and telling their intended victims that they need to update their satellite service at a cost of $120.  The scammer then uses the carrot and the stick approach.  The carrot is that after updating, the customer’s monthly bill would be reduced by $20.  The stick is that if they did not update, their satellite service would not work.

TIPS

You can never be sure who is really calling you on the phone which is why you should always be skeptical if someone demands money or personal information under any circumstances.  In this case, the Dish Network does not call its customers if it is upgrading their services and they would not charge for upgrades.  However, if you have any questions, you should do what Paula Zimmerman did when she received a call purporting to be from a Dish Network technician.  She merely called the real Dish Network customer service to confirm that indeed the call she had received was a scam.