HARLINGEN - The Better Business Bureau said people claiming to be from Dish Network are calling customers and requesting cash payments.

Harlingen resident Richard Tattershall said he struggles with his health and pays bills off of his savings.

On Tuesday, he received a suspicious call from someone claiming to be with Dish Network. The retiree said he knew something wasn’t right after the caller offered him a $60 monthly deal.

“The offer was that you would have a two-year program of everything they’ve got. Top flight Dish satellite program with everything,” he said.

The caller asked Tattershall for an upfront payment.

“They asked for $300. That to me was enough. A lot of people, including myself, don’t want to hand somebody $300 and find out the next day that it’s gone,” he said.

Tattershall said he did not pay the caller.

“That caused the first gentleman to hand me over to another person, a woman; his manager he said. I repeated that. That’s what I intended to do and ‘click,’” he said.

CHANNEL 5 NEWS called Dish Network to ask about the man’s claim. Dish Network spokesperson Daniel Morales said it was clearly a phony call.

“Just ignore it because Dish doesn’t call customers or people to be customers. So, whenever you receive a call that is the name of Dish do not pay attention to that. Just hang up,” he said.

Morales said the company will always post offers on its website. He added it’s best to report a suspicious call to local authorities.

Dolores Salinas with the Better Business Bureau said people should never make a spending decision while on the phone with a company that has called you. She said it’s best to visit the company’s website and call its number to verify the offer.

“If you have an inkling that there’s an issue, it doesn’t sound right. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. You need to take time to check it out further,” she said.

Salinas also mentioned fraud companies can take someone’s money and not get caught with a phone call. She said people should take the time to investigate any offer.