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It happened again. My neighbor was sucked
into one of those too-good-to-be-true deals by a
fast talker at the other end of her phone line.
This one wanted to seal the driveway, but
over-the-phone sales pitches can include a variety
of offers.
I am more than just mildly upset, not just
because it happened to someone I know, but also
because it can and does happen to countless
trusting and unsuspecting folks on a daily basis.
Some authorities insist that senior citizens are
the most frequent prey of phone scams, while other
experts note that anyone who is intrigued by the
thought of free gifts, extremely low prices, easy
money or other financial gain can be a casualty.
The process starts with a phone call from a
pleasant-sounding voice that may begin with some
cordial small talk in an attempt to assure the
intended victim (a word purposely chosen) that the
caller is indeed a friendly, trustworthy
individual. Look out folks, this person is neither
friendly nor trustworthy!
The deal presented to my friend offered one
of the classic lines: "We're doing work for
several of your neighbors and have some materials
left over, so can offer you a good deal." In this
case, they wanted to seal the cracks in her
asphalt driveway and parking strip which,
unfortunately, she payed them in advance to do - a
mistake on her part.
When the job was finished and the crew was
long gone with her money, she realized that the
sticky mess did not appear to be properly drying
and setting up. For the remainder of the summer,
black, sticky gunk oozed across her sidewalks,
pets and children tracked through it and
the neighborhood reeked with the smell of the
mysterious concoction which had been painted on
the driveway. To add insult to injury, the
neighbor had no business name, address or phone
number to contact those who had taken her money
for a job so poorly done.
Here are a few suggestions provided by the
American Association of Retired Persons and
Colorado State University Extension on
how to protect yourself from becoming a victim to
similar schemes that begin with a phone call.
Federal sweepstakes law and Federal Trade
Commission telemarketing trade rules are being
violated if the caller notifies you as a winner of
a contest or item, but indicates that you are
required to make a purchase or send money to
collect your prize. Never give your credit card
number over the phone unless you have initiated
the call to make a purchase from a company you
know is reputable.
Hang up on telemarketers. You are not
obligated to answer any questions or speak with
them. You also may want to ask them to remove your
name from their call list.
Be wary of those who claim to represent fire
fighters, police or other local entities. These
requests to purchase tickets or otherwise solicit
funds are often not connected to local agencies
that serve your community. Demand that they send
you written information before you send them
money. If it they claim that it is not available
or you find that a high percentage of their
collected funds never reach charities, perhaps it
would be better to not contribute.
You also may receive calls from people who
claim to represent your bank or agencies, such as
Social Security or Internal Revenue Service, to
"verify information." Be very wary of sharing any
personal information, account numbers, etc., with
these callers. If they are asking for account
information, your Social Security number or other
personal information, you may be opening the door
to future problems. You should hang up, call your
bank at the number you know really is your bank,
and verify that the call was legitimate. Do not
use the phone number provided by the caller as
this may not really be your bank's number.
Dishonest telemarketers prey not only upon
lonely, vulnerable people, but also on those who
are well-educated, have above-average incomes and
who are socially active in their communities. The
tactics and sales pitches are appropriately
sophisticated to target their audience. Phony
prizes, illegal sweepstakes, sham investments,
shoddy home repairs, crooked charities or
"recovery rooms" where victims are hit again with
offers (for a fee, of course), to assist them in
recovery of their lost money all are methods used
by criminals posing as friends and helpers.
Suspicious telemarketing calls, as well as
junk mail solicitations and advertisements, can be
reported to the National Fraud Information Center
at 1-800-876-7060.
For more information, contact your local
Colorado State University Extension office.
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