Recognize and Report Phone Fraud More than ever, telephone hucksters are preying on consumers’ financial vulnerabilities and economic uncertainty. Here’s how you can recognize phony prize promotions and foreign lotteries:Phony Prize Promotions and Sweepstakes Schemes Fraudulent telemarketers often “guarantee” that you’ve won valuable prizes, like vacations, cars or large sums of cash. But they want you to pay “fees” for shipping, taxes, customs or other supposed expenses. If someone asks you to pay to claim a “prize” or “free” gift, it’s a trick. You may get a cheap gift that is worth far less than the “fees” you paid, or you may not get anything at all.If you get a call from out of the blue telling you that “you’re a winner”:•don’t pay any money to collect supposed sweepstakes winnings. If you have to pay to collect your winnings, you’re not winning — you’re buying. Legitimate sweepstakes don’t require you to pay “insurance,” “taxes” or “shipping and handling charges” to collect your prize. •hold on to your money. Scammers pressure people to wire money through commercial money transfer companies because wiring money is the same as sending cash. When the money’s gone, there’s very little chance of recovery. Likewise, resist any push to send a check or money order by overnight delivery or courier. Con artists recommend these services so they can get their hands on your money before you realize you’ve been cheated. •remember that phone numbers can deceive. Internet technology allows con artists to could be calling from anywhere in the world.
Posted on: Tue, 23 Jul 2013 12:28:23 +0000
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