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| Avoiding Telemarketing Scams |
| Tracey Cousineau |
| 12/04/2007 |
Tips for Avoiding Telemarketing Scams
Tired of calls from
strangers trying to sell you something?
Bothered by shady characters offering deals that are too good to
be true? Fraudulent telemarketers
aren't just pushy salespeople trying to make a living – they are
hardened criminals out to take their victims’ life savings.
These criminals target seniors because they are home to get the
calls, they have money saved that can be robbed, and generally too
polite to hang up. They're so good at what they do, they can persuade
people to mortgage their homes to participate in their phony
sweepstakes, investment offers, and other schemes.
In other cases, they impersonate
well-known companies or charities to trick seniors.
Here are some tips to help you avoid telemarketing fraud.
Avoid getting on call lists.
Don’t fill out contest entry
forms at fairs or malls - they are a common source of "leads" for con
artists.
Know who you’re dealing with.
If it’s an unfamiliar company or charity, you can obtain advice
about telemarketing offers through the National Consumers League (NFIC)
at 800-876-7060 (
www.fraud.org)
or the Better Business Bureau at 800-4-BBB-811 (www.boston.bbb.org).
Beware of
identity thieves.
Crooks pretending to be from
companies you do business with may call or send an email, asking to
verify personal information they should already have.
Contact the company directly to
confirm before providing information.
Have a plan for speaking to
telemarketers.
Before you pick up the phone,
know what questions you want to ask or what you want to say.
Be polite, but firm. Hang up if
someone refuses to answer your questions or you detect the “red flags”
of fraud:
- A promise that
you can win money, make money, or borrow money easily
- A demand that
you act immediately or else miss out on this great opportunity
- A refusal to
send you written information before you agree to buy or donate
- An attempt to
scare you into buying something
- Insistence
that you wire money or have a courier pick up your payment
- A refusal to
stop calling after you’ve asked not to be called again
- It’s illegal
for companies that operate contests or sweepstakes to ask you to pay
to enter or claim your prize or even to suggest that your chances of
winning will improve if you buy something
- There is no
reason to give your credit card number or bank account number to a
telemarketer unless you are actually making a payment with that
account