Miss Pat is nobody's fool, and she could tell the lady calling on her cell phone was up to something from the get-go.

"She said her name was Cathy Wilson from E-Z 1 Rate and that I'd won a $300 gas card and free long-distance phone calls," she said. "Her accent didn't much sound like a Cathy Wilson, and the connection had funny clicks after she talked. I thought to myself, 'This is a scam.' But I was curious, so I let her talk."

The offer was to send Miss Pat a free $300 gas card and free enrollment in a long-distance phone program. "Cathy" just wanted Miss Pat's credit card number for a $1.95 shipping charge.

She didn't fall for it. "I refused to give her a credit card number and hung up." Miss Pat reported the call to the police, but they said there was nothing they could do. It still bothered her, though, and she wanted to pass the word so that others wouldn't fall for the deal. "Lots of older people, like my grandmother, would just believe anything people told her, and wouldn't suspect it was a scam. I'd just hate for anyone to be fooled by this."

A quick Google search for E-Z1- Rate reveals dozens of entries on scam-buster web sites like Ripoffreport. com and Complaintsboard. com. People all over the country have reported that, if they do give the caller a credit card number, mysterious charges that they did not authorize appear on their credit card statements, and they get nothing in return.

The complaints are always the same - heavy accent but an all- American name, very persistent sales pitch that always returns to the same point: getting your credit card number for a minor charge.

The callers even try to tell you that your credit card number isn't really a credit card number. "He tried to convince me that the 16 digit number on the front of my card was not my credit card number," one online complainer wrote, "but an identification number to verify I was a customer, and by just having the 16-digit number they wouldn't be able to charge anything."

The E-Z 1 Rate callers are persistent, according to complaints across the web sites. "We went round and round for 20 minutes, him wanting to get my credit card number, and me not wanting to give it," one complainer said. "He already knew my name and address, and that scared me, and when I finally hung up, he called me back."

Most people that complained didn't fall for the sales pitch, but some did. "Oh my gosh! I feel like a total idiot!" one wrote. "I regret giving out my information, especially my name and address! I even gave my card number but I immediately called my bank to cancel my card! I don't understand why people would do such things as scamming the innocents!"

Folks, it's good to trust people, and it's good to help people, but the rule is never, ever give out personal information to anyone who calls you out of the blue. Even if they have your name or other information, and say they're from your credit card company or bank, don't believe it. Most likely it's a scammer in another country trying to steal your money.

"The bottom line is," Miss Pat said, "if it sounds too good to be true, it isn't."