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Identity Theft and Telemarketing Fraud

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Identity Theft and Telemarketing Fraud If I get the caller ID information it should What can I do to protect myself from be able to track them, right? phone fraud? Wrong. Unfortunately, the technology is readily Identity Theft and available for criminals to mask the numbers they Telemarketing Fraud Register for the National DNC are calling from, thwarting enforcement efforts to Program by calling toll free: 1-888-382-1222 identify them. Remember, the good guys have to go through every LEGAL means to catch these Your personal information is valuable. You can limit the number of legitimate telemar- criminals, the crooks go through every means Protect it! Guard your: keting calls you receive at your residence by reg- available to evade detection. That’s why it is im- istering your home phone number on the LPSC portant that you understand that educating yourself, Social Security number DNC Program and/or National DNC Program. and your friends and family, to the dangers of iden- Putting your number on these programs will stop tify theft is your best protection against this type of Bank and credit card numbers most normal telemarketing calls - but not all. You crime. Do Not Call was never designed to stop Driver's license number still may get calls from businesses with which you fraud, but we can help you get your complaint to normally do business, and a few other possible the appropriate authority. exemptions, but calls from sales people from un- Some criminals lie on the telephone to familiar businesses may be the sign of a scam. Be- What should I do if I suspect fraud? get your personal information. They cause both of the DNC programs are working very well to keep legitimate telemarketers in compli- First, if it is someone representing themselves as may lie about who they are, claiming someone authorized by a company you do business ance with their laws, registration does effectively that they're from a legitimate company with, and they want personal information, take reduce the total number of calls that you receive, and that you have a problem with your their name and contact the company yourself be- making it easier for you to spot those that may be account. fore releasing any information. Do not accept a calling vishing, or for any other criminal purpose. “call back” number from the representative, call Or they may pose as representatives of the company yourself and ask to speak to the em- a bank or government agency and ask What is Vishing? ployee or someone in management. Don’t ever be you to confirm your billing informa- The Federal Bureau of Investigation describes frightened into revealing personal information. tion. Vishing as a new form of a phishing scam, or us- Business are well aware of the problem of identity Once they have your personal informa- ing technology to hijack identities and steal theft and will support your request if their activity tion, they can use it to commit identity money. One of the latest breakthroughs in tele- is legitimate. communications-Voice Over Internet Protocol, or theft charging your existing credit However, if you get a call and a recorded message VoIP, enables telephone calls over the web, and cards, opening new credit card, check- offers you a product or service and asks you to unfortunately makes it that much easier for crimi- “Press 1” if you are interested or another number to ing, or savings accounts, writing nals to contact consumers. VoIP service is fairly fraudulent checks, or taking out loans be placed on their Do Not Call rolls, we believe, at inexpensive, especially for long distance, making this time, that the bulk of these types of calls to be in your name. it easy to make fake calls, and use technology to related to identity theft attempts or vishing scams. avoid costs and disguise identities. The intention We recommend that you simply hang up the phone http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0272-how-keep-your-personal-information-secure is to provide the consumer with a false sense of without pressing either button. You may report security that will encourage the consumer to re- this call to the Federal Trade Commission by visit- lease personal information. ing www.ftc.gov or calling toll-free, 1-877-FTC- HELP (1-877-382-4357). (http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2007/february/vishing_022307) “Telephonic solicitation” means any voice or data communication made by a telephonic solicitor to a residential telephonic subscriber for the purpose of encouraging a sale or rental of or investment in property, Recognize Phone Fraud consumer goods, or services; or for the purpose of encouraging an exten- Could you be the sion of credit for property, consumer goods, or services; or for the pur- pose of obtaining information that will or may be used for the direct solicitationFile of aa sale Complaint or rental of or investment Regarding in property, consumer Anyone with a phone can be victimized by Victim of Phone goods, or services or an extension of credit for such purposes, or for the solicitation of a contributionPhone to a charitable Fraud organization. Although con- telemarketing scam artists. That's why sidered telephonic solicitation, exceptions are granted to voice or data every “sales” call you get by phone is an Fraud? communications for the following reasons: 1. In response to an express request of the person called. For purposes opportunity for a gut check: Ask yourself of this Order, in the case of property or services advertised and offered to sale directly by the owner or provider thereof, if such advertisement or these questions - and if the answers give Theoffer contains Federal the phone Tradenumber of theCommission owner or provider or (FTC)its author- “ ” you some doubt about the caller's inten- Auto Warranty “Prize winner worksized representative, for thenthe such advertisementconsumer or offer to shall beprevent deemed to be an “express request” by the owner or provider for inquiries relating tions or methods, end the call. ” ” fraudulent,to the sale or purchase deceptive of such property and or services. unfair This authorization busi- “Online Pharmacy expires six months after the “express request” is granted. 2. Primarily in connection with an existing debt or contract, payment or ness practices in the marketplace and to ” performance of which has not been completed at the time of such call. When you get what appears to be a telemarket- “Lower your interest rates provide3. To any person information with whom the telephonic to help solicitor consumers has an existing ing sales call, ask yourself some questions: business relationship, or a prior business relationship that was termi- ”Health benefits spot,nated or stoplapsed within and six avoid (6) months them. of such call, To except file by aa personcom- or ” ” plaintbusiness that or conducts to get automobile free salesinformation and does not complete on thecon- sales Who's calling - and why? Telemarketers must “Free Cell Phone presentation during the telephone solicitation and is made in contempla- “Burial insurance sumertion of the salesissues, presentation visit being www.ftc.gov completed at a later orface -tocall-face tell you it's a sales call, the name of the seller and tollmeeting-free, between 1the-877 telephonic-FTC solicitor-HELP and the person(1-877 contacted-382 and- what they're selling before they make their pitch. ” where the contacted person has previously made purchases from the If they don't give you the required information, ” 4357).automobile dealership. “Diabetic Supplies 4. On behalf of an organization, which has non-profit status under Sec- say "no thanks," and get off the phone. tion 501(c) (3), or (6) of the Internal Revenue Code, unless such organi- zation utilizes the services of a paid professional solicitor, as defined in R.S. 51:1901(6). What's their hurry? Fast talkers who use high 5. For the purpose of conducting marketing research, public opinion Thepolling, FTCor similar enters activities that Internet, do not involve telemarketing,telephonic solicitation or pressure tactics could be hiding something. Take selling or obtaining information that will or may be used for telephonic your time. Most legitimate businesses will give identitysolicitation or selling.theft and other fraud-related complaints6. Constituting political into activity. Consumer For the purposes Sentinel,of this Order, calls a you time and written information about an offer constituting political activity are defined as calls made for the sole pur- before asking you to commit to a purchase. secure,pose of urging online support for database or opposition to availablea political candidate to hun-or ballot issue provided that the callers identify themselves; or calls made for the dredssole purpose of of civilconducting and political criminal polls or soliciting law the enforce- expression of If it's free, why are they asking me to pay? opinions, ideas or votes; or calls made by any newspaper or periodical in mentthe state, whichagencies is qualified into be the the official U.S. journal and of the abroad. state or any Question charges you need to pay to redeem a Checkparish, municipality, out the school FTC board, website or other political for moresubdivision, in- as prize or gift. Free is free. If you have to pay, it's a provided by Chapters 2 and 4 of Title 43 of the Louisiana Revised Stat- formationutes of 1950. about your rights under the purchase - not a prize or a gift. 7. Without completing or attempting to complete a sale, said sale to be FTC’scompleted only Telemarketing after a face-to face meeting Sales between the Rule telephonic andsolici- LPSC Do Not Call waystor and the to person protect called at theyourself telephonic solicitor’s from primary abusive place of Why am I "confirming" my account informa- business or at another location selected by the purchaser.
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