When the phone rings, we no longer just answer it confidently. Nowadays, with telemarketing fraud everywhere and working under any pretense to get money from you, it’s worth it to invest in protection against this danger. People are robbed every year by criminals through telemarketing fraud aimed at ripping people off.
Here are 5 of the most common telemarketing frauds being committed today:
The “Advance Fee Fraud.”
Is typically used to claim that the victim will receive a lottery prize, government loan or grant. The victim is told that they need to advance a sum of money in return for getting a significantly larger gain.
“Pyramid Schemes”
Are often used to misrepresent investments or business opportunities. This is typically a non-sustainable business model that involves the exchange of money primarily for enrolling other people into the scheme.
The “Over-payment Fraud.”
Is where a victim is overpaid for a classified ad or online auction purchase with a counterfeit check or money order, and then asked to wire back some of the excesses.
The “Charity Fraud.”
Is the act of using deception to get people to donate money to fake charities. Deceitful business acts are frauds in which businesses solicit money but do not use the money for the stated or intended purpose.
The “Telephone Slamming” fraud
Is an illegal telecommunications practice in which a victim’s telephone service is changed without their knowledge and consent? Some variations of this scam include the “merchant account slamming” or “credit card processing slamming” where a business’s debit or credit card machine is reprogrammed to process charges through a different company.
The following are some ways on how to protect yourself from telemarketing fraud:
1. Know what to expect from a fraudulent call. They are good at what they do and know exactly what to say to trick someone into giving them their information. Ask for the name and contact information of the company they say they are representing. Do not give out any personal and financial information over the phone. If you are not sure if the call is legitimate and you are interested in the product or service, ask them to mail you written information.
2. If you are told you won a prize and the caller says you have to pay money to have the prize shipped or they want your banking information so they can wire you the money, hang up the phone and report the call to your government agency that handles telemarketing fraud or the police. You will never have to pay for a prize or pay to enter a contest.
3. If you do not want to be on the caller’s phone list, tell the caller to remove you from their telemarketing list. As well, you can get your name added to the ‘National Do Not Call’ registry. Telemarketers are required by law to search the ‘Do Not Call’ registry and not call those who do not want to be named.
4. Telemarketers are trained to try to bully you into making a purchase. If a caller says you have to act now, hang up the phone. Never mail money as the result of a telemarketing call. If they solicit you to buy a product, do not give them any credit card information. Do not do business with a company you have never heard of. You can search the internet about a company or contact the Better Business Bureau. Be wary of too-good-to-be-true sales pitches. If the caller says you are a “guaranteed” winner, hang up.
5. Keep records of telemarketing calls. Make a record of the date and time of the telemarketing call. Include the name, address and phone number of the person or company. If you buy something, note the date of the transaction and the delivery date that is promised.
If you think that you are being mislead and that you are charged with fraud you may want to contact Jerry Berry Law Firm. They would do an amazing job investigating the truth behind the scenes.
The best defense against telemarketing fraud is to learn to how to recognize a fraudulent call and then take a few protection steps to make sure the criminal is unsuccessful and will possibly get arrested after you report the call.You will need to remember that you, if you want to avoid getting ripped off. There are just too many frauds happening around the world. That is why it is important that you exert some effort to look for the right telemarketing services. It is the best protection for your company.