social service.ppt
TRANSCRIPT
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Helping Consumers Who Are Targeted By Telemarketing
Fraud
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Telemarketing is a serious crime
• Fraudulent telemarketers are hardened criminals
• They rob with phones instead of guns
• Help people avoid becoming victims by helping them recognize the danger signs of fraud
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It can happen to anyone
• Telemarketing fraud victims include police, lawyers, doctors, teachers, accountants, homemakers – there is a scam for everyone
• Con artists use same tactics as legitimate marketers – being friendly, getting people excited, creating a sense of urgency
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Danger signs of fraud
• Promises easy ways to make money, borrow money, or win money
• Demands immediate action
• Refuses to send written information
• Uses scare tactics
• Wants money sent by wire or courier
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Telemarketing Fraud Trends
• More than ¼ of consumers who report telemarketing fraud to the National Consumers League’s National Fraud Information Center are 60 or older – higher in certain fraud categories
• More crooks targeting U.S. consumers from Canada or other countries – makes it harder to pursue them
• Bank debits now most common method of payment
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How payment is made matters
• If victims pay by check or money order, money is gone before they realize there is a problem
• Credit cards safest way to pay because consumers can dispute charges if the promises weren’t kept
• Dispute rights not same when consumers pay by debit card or give bank account number
• Money is gone by time fraud discovered!
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Prize and Sweepstakes
The pitch: You won a fabulous prize, but you must pay or buy something to get it
The scam: You pay and don’t get anything, or you get a cheap trinket
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Work At Home
The pitch: We’ll set you up to earn money working at home
The scam: There is no real product or service, or there aren’t any customers for the work. done for them from people’s homes
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Credit Card Offers
The pitch: We’ll get you a credit card, guaranteed, even if you have bad credit, as long as you pay a fee upfront
The scam: You get nothing or a card that you can only use to buy from the company’s own overpriced catalogues
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Advance Fee Loans
The pitch: We’ll get you a loan, guaranteed, even if your credit is bad
The scam: You pay but never get a loan – you just lose your money
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Magazine Sales
The pitch: Subscribe for just pennies a day, or renew your current subscription
The scam: The total cost is more than you realize, or the has no relation to the publisher and simply pockets your money
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Telephone Slamming
The pitch: Fill out this form to win a prize, or sign up for a great new calling plan from your phone company
The scam: You actually agreed to switch your phone service to another company without realizing it
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Credit Card Loss Protection
The pitch: You need this protection because you could lose lots of money if someone steals your credit card and uses it
The scam: You are only liable for $50 and most credit card issuers will remove fraudulent charges completely if you notify them promptly
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Buyers Clubs
The pitch: Get a free trial membership in a discount buying club for 30 days
The scam: You don’t realize that you must contact the company to cancel before the trial period is up to avoid charges
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Nigerian Money Offers
The pitch: Help me move a fortune from Africa and I’ll give you a big slice of it
The scam: You pay “transfer” and “legal” fees to move the money to your bank account, but no money is ever deposited – money is taken out of your account instead
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Office Supply Sales
The pitch: Get a great deal from your supplier before prices go up
The scam: The caller is an imposter, and if you get any supplies at all, they are inferior
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Charities
The pitch: Help the disadvantaged, support your local police, aid disaster victims
The scam: The charity doesn’t exist, or most of the money goes to a professional fundraiser, not to the charity
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Investments
The pitch: Triple your money with absolutely no risk if you invest right away
The scam: There may be no investment at all, or the caller may misrepresent the profits and risks
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Travel and Vacations
The pitch: Get a free trip or a great vacation bargain
The scam: You have to sit through a high-pressure sales talk for a timeshare, or hidden costs make the trip much more expensive, or there is no trip at all!
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Telephone Pay-Per-Call Services
The pitch: Call a 900 or 800 number for a free psychic reading
The scam: You get charged from the beginning of the call, or the free time isn’t long enough to get promised services
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Consumers can protect themselves
• Resist pressure to act immediately• Ask for written information• Check unknown companies with state or
local consumer protection agency and the Better Business Bureau
• Pay the safest way – with a credit card – because they can dispute the charges if promises aren’t kept
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Consumers should protect their sensitive information
• Don’t give credit card or bank account numbers unless they are buying something
• Don’t give social security numbers to telemarketers
• Personal information can be used to make charges/debits from their accounts or open new accounts in their names
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Seniors are specifically targeted
• Fraudulent telemarketers know seniors are generally too polite to hang up
• Not all victims are isolated or lonely - many are active people who lured by great deals
• Con artists take advantage of fact that we all want to believe it’s our lucky day!
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Seniors particularly vulnerable to certain scams
According to the National Consumer’s League’s National Fraud Information Center, people age 60 and older are specifically targeted by
• phony prizes and sweepstakes
• credit card loss protection plans and
• magazine sales scams
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Signs that a senior may be in danger
• Receives lots of mail and phone calls for contests, sweepstakes, and prizes
• Makes repeated and/or large payments to unfamiliar companies
• Has difficulty paying normal bills• Has lots of cheap items that were received as
“prizes” or bought to get prizes• Receives more magazines than anyone could
possibly read
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Fraud victims need help
• Don’t criticize or embarrass victims
• Reassure them that it could happen to anyone
• Encourage them to report the fraud
• Provide counseling so they won’t become repeat victims
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Consumers can avoid getting on “sucker lists”
• Don’t fill out contest entry forms from unknown companies – con artists often use them to identify potential victims
• tell callers to put them on their “Do Not Call” list
• ask companies they do business with not to share their personal information with others
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Steps for fraud victims
• Beware of “recovery services” – crooks that offer to get their money back, for a fee
• Use an answering machine or get Caller ID to screen calls
• Consider changing their telephone number if crooks won’t stop calling
• Change bank account number if crooks keep debiting money
• Watch out for fraudulent offers that come by mail
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Consumers can help stop telemarketing fraud
• Report it quickly, even if they haven’t lost any money
• Call the National Fraud Information Center toll-free, (800) 876-7060, or go to www.fraud.org
• Information helps shut down fraudulent operators and protect others