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PROTECT
YOURSELF AGAINST TELEPHONE FRAUD
The
Peoria Police Department has received a high volume of calls from
citizens inquiring about police charities soliciting funds via
telephone to determine if they are legitimate. Although it is rare
for police agencies to raise funds in this way, some legitimate
organizations with ties to law enforcement do engage in fund raising
efforts.
Just as these citizens did, potential victims of phone scams should
be suspicious when the caller is vague about the organization he
represents, dictates a certain donation amount, or intimidates the
victim into taking action “right now”.
There are ways to protect yourself against telephone fraud, and the
Peoria Police Department offers these tips, which are recommended by
the National Fraud Information Center and the AARP:
• Ask telemarketers for the name and address of their company
• Ask the caller to send you materials in the mail that you can
review before making a commitment
• Don’t allow the caller to bully you into donating money or buying
something “right now”. If he insists you must decide “today”, it is
most likely a scam.
• Don’t give any bank account or credit card information to ANYONE
over the phone, unless you initiated the call. Your credit card
companies have all of your account information and should never ask
you to provide it if they are calling you.
Ask yourself these questions if you don’t feel right about a
telemarketing call:
• Does the caller confuse me and refuse to give me time to make a
good decision?
• When I ask for written information, does he make excuses and
refuse to send it?
• Does the caller pressure me for my credit card/bank account
number, or insist upon immediate payment to a courier or via wire
service?
• Do I have to pay to win a free prize, enter a contest, or receive
a gift?
Still not getting through to the telemarketer? Let him know you know
the law. The Federal Trade Commission regulates telemarketing, and
requires that:
• In the first part of the call, the caller must identify the
company’s name.
• If a prize is offered, you must be told immediately that no
purchase or payment is necessary to win.
• You can’t be asked to pay in advance for services: pay for
services only after they are delivered.
• You cannot be called before 8am or after 9pm local time.
Don’t be fooled by these savvy callers – take your time and if you
are interested in donating to their cause or buying their product,
have them send you materials to review. No legitimate company will
turn that down – they want to sell you products or receive your
donation and are willing to provide those materials.
For more information about how to protect yourself from all types of
fraud or to report fraud, visit or call the National Fraud
Information Center at
www.fraud.org or 1-800-876-7060.
For more information contact Public Information Officer Jay
Davies at (623) 773-7019 or page him at (602) 208-9081.
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