Telemarketing fraud costs consumers nearly $40 each year. This is just telemarketing scams. There are hundreds of other scams from phone scams to on-line, from credit card to check, from paving to investment, and even something called the Nigerian letter scheme. It is difficult to know what to look for when there are so many scams out there. The key item to remember is:
There are many ways that a scam artist might use to get these numbers. Just remember, never give out this information unless you have initiated the contact, and are 100% sure of who you are dealing with, and how this information will be used. Take these examples:
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You receive a phone call stating that you have won a brand new flat screen television, and you only need to pay for the delivery charge. They ask you fro your credit card number. Are you sure you know who you are dealing with? Could this be a call from Sony Televisions? Yes. Could this be a con artist from halfway around the world?
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Another phone call, this time stating you have won an equally amazing prize. However, they need to make sure that they have called the correct "lucky winner" and ask for your license number to verify your identity. Sound harmless? Armed with your license number, a thief could be well on their way to stealing your identity.
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Now a knock on the door. A nice man in a shirt and tie is selling a magazine subscription. You get to pick 4 magazines for a year subscription for only $50. To start you off, you get a free magazine, so you sign up. However, the nice salesman doesn't carry cash, so he will need a credit card number, and he will bill you later. That one "free" magazine issue is going to cost you a lot more than $50.
These are just a few example of simple tricks, there are more clever scam artists out there, but they can all be stopped by just remembering the simple rule of never give out your vital numbers. Some other tips are:
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Never pay cash for long distance purchases.
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Never use credit cards for ID or age verification.
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Ask for written materials to back up claims of a "deal".
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If something seems good to be true, ask a family member.
There is a popular scam that is starting to emerge once again in this area. It is the 90# telephone scam, and it works like this:
Someone will call you and tell you that they are from the phone company and are conducting line tests. They will ask you to dial nine (9), zero (0) and the pound sign (#), and then hang up the telephone. By pushing 90#, you give the requesting individual full access to your telephone line, which enables them to place long distance calls billed to your home phone number.
This scam has been attempted recently in this area, and has been originating from many local prisons. The information about this scam has been verified with UCB Telecom, Pacific Bell, MCI, Bell Atlantic and GTE. Please Beware. A simple rule of thumb, never push 90# for any reason, ever, regardless of who is on the line.
Sound too good to be true? Did you know that nearly 10% of the 140,000 telemarketing firms in the United States engage in fraud.
You will be happy to hear that Massachusetts has adopted the "No Call List". The Telemarketing Act of 2003 helps consumers avoid the repeated interruption of certain telemarketing calls. Consumers are now able to put their numbers on the list, bringing an end to most so called "cold calling" telephone solicitation for residential consumers who sign-up.
The "Do Not Call List" is free, and is updated quarterly. By law, telemarketers are required to check this list, and are forbidden, under penalty of law, to place unsolicited phone calls to those on the list. Please keep in mind that this law does not apply to companies that you have voluntarily conducted business with in the last 6 months.
Please check out the link below. Here you will find tons of information on the laws, and can follow a very simple process to get your number on the list.
Do Not Call List
