Beware of Fraudulent Telemarketing Scams
Robert E. Casey Jr., Special Agent In Charge, Dallas, FBI, advises due to the recent increase in frequency and variety of internet, e-mail, and telephone scams, the FBI recommends the following:
Fraudulent telemarketing scams are estimated to cost over 40 billion dollars a
year. The Department of Justice estimates the number of American consumers
defrauded each year by fraudulent telemarketing at one in six. Fraudulent
telemarketers are continuing to target elderly citizens in disproportionate numbers.
Some of the more common scams that continue to be a concern include:
a) Nigerian Letters;
b) Lottery/Sweepstakes Scams;
c) Internet Auction Fraud.
Nigerian Letters
Individuals and businesses continue to receive letters from Nigeria through the
mail, over fax machines, and over e-mail. These letters appear to come from a
prominent individual or company with access to a substantial sum of money. The
writer purports to need someone with a bank account outside Nigeria to facilitate
recovery of this large sum of money. These Nigerian scam letters have been going
around for years and there are now numerous versions which may appear to originate
from outside Nigeria. Do not provide bank account information, or other personal
information based upon these letters.
Lottery/Sweepstakes Scams
This scam involves the victim receiving notification, either by telephone or mail,
that the victim has won a large sum of money, typically from Canada, although they
may originate elsewhere. The victim is then convinced to pay money, under the guise
of customs taxes, processing fees, or as a fee to convert the winnings to United States
currency, as a prerequisite to receiving the winnings. Do not send money as a condition
of receiving lottery or sweepstakes winnings. It is a violation of Federal Trade
Commission (FTC) trade rules to require a purchase as a condition of entering a contest,
sweepstakes, or other promotion. Also, it is illegal to play a foreign lottery through the
mail or on the telephone or internet (Title 18 United States Code, section 1301-1307).
Internet Auction Fraud
This scam involves a “buyer” expressing an interest in purchasing something,
typically over the internet. The buyer will then send a check to the victim in an amount
above the purchase price. The buyer explains why the check is higher than the
purchase price and asks the victim to send the balance back to the buyer. The victim,
believing the certified check is good, then forwards the excess money back to the buyer.
The check sent by the buyer is counterfeit and the buyer has no interest in purchasing
anything. Sellers should be cautious of a buyer who wants to send a check for an
amount above the purchase price. Sellers should be cautious of sending merchandise or
money back to the buyer, without first ensuring that the buyers form of payment is
legitimate.
RED FLAGS TO WATCH FOR
a) Pressure: Scammers will often pressure the victim to act quickly. The
“opportunity” is only available for a limited time, or the prize will be given to someone
else if not claimed;
b) Pay Up Front: A scam will often require the victim to pay money up front in
order to take advantage of the “opportunity.” No legitimate contest requires a winner
to pay money up front to claim the winnings;
c) Will Not Send Written Information: The scammer will rarely send written
documentation to the victim, because that provides the victim time to think about the
situation, as well as provides the victim the means of checking out the
operation/organization;
d) Excuses: The scammer will often be unable to answer legitimate questions
posed by the victim. They will provide excuses rather than directly address such
questions and concerns. They will even become upset because the victim is questioning
the caller by threatening to provide the opportunity to someone else if the victim is not
interested.
DOs AND DON’Ts
- DO ask for the business/organization name and address (many will not provide
this information, because it is something that may be verified);
- DO ask for written information. This gives the potential victim the opportunity
to examine the offer and talk to others about the offer;
- DO talk to family and friends about the situation. A second opinion is always a
good idea. Something that sounds too good to be true, normally is;
- DO call the Better Business Bureau (BBB) if you are unfamiliar with a business;
- DON’T pay to receive lottery/contest winnings;
- DON’T allow the caller to pressure you to ACT NOW!
- DON’T give out bank account numbers, credit card numbers, or other personal
information to anyone you did not initiate contact with and you know is a reputable
business.
RESOURCES
Internet Fraud: All federal Internet fraud complaints are centralized through the
Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). Because Internet fraud is not geographically
limited, a centralized complaint center allows all related complaints to be connected
and referred to the appropriate agency. Report instances of Internet and e-mail fraud, i.e. international lotteries, FBI e-mails, sweepstakes, etc., to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.
Telemarketing Fraud: Information about current telephone scams is available at www.ftc.gov/phonefraud. This website also provides descriptions of the current types of telephone scams being used and advice on how and where to report telephone frauds and scams. Additional information is available at www.phonebusters.com. This website is sponsored by the Canadian government in response to the large number of sweepstakes/lottery scams originating in Canada over the past several years.
Identity Theft: The FTC also offers a separate identity theft hotline, to address identity
theft complaints: 1-877-ID-THEFT (877-438-4338) www.consumer.gov/idtheft.
Visit the FBI.GOV website for the latest information on e-mail scams and warnings. Within the FBI.GOV website is a section titled “Be Crime Smart.” “Be Crime Smart” provides information on new e-mail scams and warnings; reporting Internet crime; common fraud schemes; looks to good to be true scams; and more tips and suggestions to avoid being a victim of a scam.
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