| According to FBI estimates, "there are at least 14,000 | | | | fraud or the police. You will never have to pay for a |
| illegal sales operations stealing from American | | | | prize or pay to enter a contest. |
| consumers every day." Telemarketing fraud is a crime | | | | 3. If you do not want to be on the caller's phone list, tell |
| and everyone should learn how to protect themselves | | | | the caller to remove you from their telemarketing list. |
| from these criminals. Telemarketing fraud takes place | | | | As well, you can get your name added to the 'National |
| when scammers pose as legitimate charities, | | | | Do Not Call' registry. Telemarketers are required by |
| businesses, or other organization and call people with | | | | law to search the 'Do Not Call' registry and not call |
| fake offers in an attempt to defraud them. These | | | | those who do not want to be called. |
| scammers use the phone to commit a number of | | | | 4. Telemarketers are trained to try to bully you into |
| different kinds of fraud. This can include: loan fraud, | | | | making a purchase. If a caller says you have to act |
| credit card fraud, sweepstakes and lottery fraud, | | | | now, hang up the phone. Never mail money as the |
| magazine subscription and shopping club membership | | | | result of a telemarketing call. If they solicit you to buy a |
| fraud. | | | | product, do not give them any credit card information. |
| The following are a number of tips on how to protect | | | | Do not do business with a company you have never |
| yourself from telemarketing fraud: | | | | heard of. You can search the internet about a |
| 1. Know what to expect from a fraudulent call. They | | | | company or contact the Better Business Bureau. Be |
| are good at what they do and know exactly what to | | | | wary of too-good-to-be true sales pitches. If the caller |
| say to trick someone into giving them their personal | | | | says you are a "guaranteed" winner, hang up. |
| information. Ask for the name and contact information | | | | 5. Keep records of telemarketing calls. Make a record |
| of the company they say they are representing. Do | | | | of the date and time of the telemarketing call. Include |
| not give out any personal and financial information over | | | | the name, address and phone number of the person |
| the phone. If you are not sure if the call is legitimate | | | | or company. If you buy something, note the date of |
| and you are interested in the product or service, ask | | | | the transaction and the delivery date that is promised. |
| them to mail you written information. | | | | The best defense against telemarketing fraud is to |
| 2. If you are told you won a prize and the caller says | | | | learn to how to recognize a fraudulent call and then |
| you have to pay money to have the prize shipped or | | | | take a few protection steps to make sure the criminal |
| they want your banking information so they can wire | | | | is unsuccessful and will possibly get arrested after you |
| you the money, hang up the phone and report the call | | | | report the call. |
| to your government agency that handles telemarketing | | | | |