possible Shutterbug phishing scam

<p>I have been a Shutterbug subscriber for many years and last summer started getting "phone calls about my subscription asking me to renew. Since my subscription had many months left, I told the caller it was too early to think about that. I paid no attention to where the calls were coming from. This afternoon I got another call, but told the caller I had already mailed in my renewal form with a check. He had my correct name, address and telephone number. The caller said he had the form but there was no check enclosed. While the caller was on the line, I got on my computer and checked my bank statement---the check had been deposited by Shutterbug. I told that to the caller who said he "would check into it". I smelled a rat, so I checked caller ID----the call was from New York, (area code 718), but there was no caller name. Then I called Shutterbug in Titusville Florida. They verified my check and account status, and said they had received other calls about this. They do not call subscribers and do not authorize any one else to do so. They did not call me. This whole thing sounds to me like am phishing scam. I bet the caller was after a credit card number to "clear up the matter" I used to work in law enforcement and suggested to the lady at Shutterbug to report this to the local law enforcement agency. Someone obviously has their subscription data base and is using it to call subscribers. They need to investigate this and to aid law enforcement to protect their subscribers. I would also like to hear if any one else has had a similar call or knows anything about this----I hope this may be of help. I also posted this to the Nikon Cafe and would not mind it being re-posted elsewhere if it would be of value.</p>

<p>I've had the same call, multiple times. Very pushy person on the other end to the point that I was close to telling them to cancel the subcription (until I caught on that it was a scam). <br /><br /></p>

<p>I'm shocked. They still print "SHUTTERBUG"?</p>

<p>Depending on how long since you've seen the magazine, it may look very different. The classified ads are long gone. It's more of a folksy version of Popular Photography at this point. By folksy, I mean their equipment reviews, for example, are "I took the camera out and shot this and that and I liked it or I didn't" as opposed to "in tests on our opitical bench, the new design of 14 elements in 10 groups resolved xx lines per millimeter."<br /><br />They have this hilarious column where readers write in with questions and half the answers are "I don't know" or something that would produce two days or argument on here. The answer should be "don't you know how to use google?"? or "haven't your heard of Photo.net?"</p>

<p>In the pre-internet days SB ruled ! There was nothing better for we human shutterbugs, than scouring its pages looking for bargains.Leafing through those pages, had a feel that web surfing could never duplicate. </p>

<p>I've been subscribing for the last few years but am not going to renew. I've not received any phone calls but their mailings and emails are pushy. I can understand their desire to stay in business.</p>

<p>I, too, miss the days when it was an oversized publication and had the multi-page KEH listings, among others.</p>

<p>I'm another SB subscriber that won't be renewing when my current subscription ends. I'm a MAC user but one of their columnists who purports to help subscribers with computer, display, printer and software issues, frequently mis-informs and constantly pushes MAC (to the point of embarassment). His arrogant tone grates on me, personally.<br /> <br />Shutterbug, like one of it's sister publications, STEREOPHILE, tends to offer reviews that frequently aren't supported by technical data. I'm a landscape/nature photographer and I'd never touch another camera if I had to do weddings or portraiture. More power to those that enjoy and make a living from that type of photography but it's not for me, and SB seems to be disproportionately oriented towards wedding and studio work. I won't miss SB at all.</p>

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