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Fraud on the Line: Avoiding “Do Not Call”
Scams
First of all, if you hate receiving phone calls at home, here is the correct
site use to block all calls:
https://www.donotcall.gov/default.aspx. Notice that it is a ".gov" domain
and that the transaction you do on the site is secure (https mean it uses the
secure socket layer). This will keep you call free for 5 years.
What are "Do not call" scams?
Have you received a call from a
company inviting you to pre-register for the national "Do Not Call" list? What
about a call asking to confirm your registration on a "Do Not Call" registry? If
so, you may be the target of a scam, according to the Federal Trade Commission
(FTC), the federal agency that is creating the national "Do Not Call" registry.
The FTC does not allow private companies or other third parties to
"pre-register" consumers for the registry. Web sites or phone solicitors that
claim they can or will register a consumer's name or phone number on a national
list - especially those who charge a fee - are a scam. Registration on the new
national "Do Not Call" registry will be free. The FTC says that once a consumer
signs up with a "Do Not Call" registry, there is no need to confirm personal
information. And the government will not call anyone to put them on a "Do Not
Call" registry.
According to the FTC, consumers will be able to register
directly with the FTC, or through some state governments, but never through
private companies. The agency is gearing up to accept registrations beginning in
July 2003 from consumers who want to register online and who have an email
account. For consumers who want to register by phone, a toll-free telephone
number will be available. Phone registration dates will be scheduled by state
during July and August. The FTC says summertime registrants should notice a
downturn in telemarketing calls starting in October.
The FTC warns
consumers to be wary of scams related to the registry. Many consumers who want
to get fewer telemarketing calls already have signed up with a state "Do Not
Call" registry, the Direct Marketing Association's Telemarketing Preference
Service or individual company "Do Not Call" lists. But consumer protection
officials say that rip-off artists have begun to take advantage of the
popularity of these services to trick consumers into giving up personal
information, such as their Social Security number, bank account number, credit
card number or telephone calling card number.
Here's how the scam works:
someone calls claiming to represent a "Do Not Call" registry or the FTC. The
phony registry "official" asks for your personal information, supposedly to
verify that you want to be on the "Do Not Call" list. The caller is a con artist
who could use your personal information to run up debts in your name or
otherwise steal your identity. Some con artists are pushing a similar scam
through spam email.
The FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection says
consumers can avoid these scams.
Here's how:
- Keep information about your bank accounts and credit
cards to yourself - including the numbers - unless you know who you're dealing
with.
- Never share your Social Security number with a
person you don't know.
- Don't share your personal information if someone
calls you claiming to represent a "Do Not Call" registry, an organization to
stop fraud or even the FTC itself. If you get such a call, either hang up
immediately or write down the caller's organization and phone number and report
it to the FTC at www.ftc.gov or 1-877-FTC-HELP,
or to your state attorney general.
For more information on how to reduce unwanted
telemarketing calls, visit
www.ftc.gov/donotcall. If you believe that your personal
information may have been compromised, visit www.consumer.gov/idtheft.
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