The following is a Press Release from the Louisiana Attorney General:
Have you ever been approached by a telemarketer offering you a deal that
seems too good to be true? If you are age 60 or older—and especially if
you are an older woman living alone—you may be a special target of people who
sell bogus products and services by telephone. May is nationally
recognized as Older American's Month, and Attorney General Buddy Caldwell is
warning citizens of telemarketing scams that target our elderly
population.
Telemarketing scams often involve offers of free prizes, low-cost health
care products, and inexpensive vacations. They often use high pressure
sales tactics such as, "You must act now, or the offer won't be good," in order
to discourage consumers from consulting with family or trusted advisors about
the product or investment. All too often, these fraudulent sales pitches
are run by scammers trying to bilk you out of your hard earned savings.
It is very difficult to track down these scammers and even more difficult to
have your money returned once a transaction has taken place. Regardless
of the phone number that shows up on your caller ID, the fraudulent
telemarketer could actually be calling from anywhere in the world.
"Unfortunately, giving your money to a fraudulent telemarketer could mean
losing it forever," stated Caldwell. "Our best line of defense is to
educate the public on how to recognize telemarketing fraud, so they can avoid
being scammed all together."
The Attorney General's Office and the FBI offer the following tips to
recognize and avoid telemarketing scams:
Never
send money or give out personal information such as credit card numbers and
expiration dates, bank account numbers, dates of birth, or social security
numbers to unfamiliar companies or unknown persons.
Don't
pay for a "free prize." If a caller tells you the payment is for taxes, he or
she is violating federal law.
Always
check out unfamiliar companies with your local consumer protection agency,
Better Business Bureau, state attorney general, the National Fraud Information
Center, or other watchdog groups. Unfortunately, not all bad businesses can be
identified through these organizations.
Obtain
a salesperson's name, business identity, telephone number, street address,
mailing address, and business license number before you transact business. Some
con artists give out false names, telephone numbers, addresses, and business
license numbers. Verify the accuracy of these items.
Be
wary of companies that want to send a messenger to your home to pick up money,
claiming it is part of their service to you. In reality, they are taking your
money without leaving any trace of who they are or where they can be reached.
Always
take your time making a decision. Legitimate companies won't pressure you to
make a snap decision.
Always
ask for and wait until you receive written material about any offer or charity.
If you get brochures about costly investments, ask someone whose financial
advice you trust to review them. But beware—not everything written down is true.
Be
sure to talk over big investments offered by telephone salespeople with a
trusted friend, family member, or financial advisor. It's never rude to wait
and think about an offer.
Never
respond to an offer you don't understand thoroughly.
If
you have been victimized once, be wary of persons who call offering to help you
recover your losses for a fee paid in advance.
Reporting suspected telemarketing fraud is essential to stop it. To
report a telemarketing scam, please contact the Louisiana Attorney General's
Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-800-351-4889.
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