NEW HAMPTON – When you send money to people you do not know personally or give personal or financial information to unknown callers, you increase your chances of becoming a victim of telemarketing fraud, the Chickasaw County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday morning.
“Just a reminder that the ‘scammers’ are out there still trying to get money from you,” law enforcement officials said. “Please don’t give out any personal information, including bank account numbers or social security numbers. The most recent one (again) is that someone is calling saying you owe past due taxes. The caller will tell you that if you don’t pay them now, the Sheriff or a federal agency will come arrest you.”
Here are some warning signs of telemarketing fraud—what a caller may tell you:
- “You must act ‘now’ or the offer won’t be good.”
- “You’ve won a ‘free’ gift, vacation, or prize.” But you have to pay for “postage and handling” or other charges.
- “You must send money, give a credit card or bank account number, or have a check picked up by courier.” You may hear this before you have had a chance to consider the offer carefully.
- “You don’t need to check out the company with anyone.” The callers say you do not need to speak to anyone including your family, lawyer, accountant, local Better Business Bureau, or consumer protection agency.
- “You don’t need any written information about their company or their references.”
- “You can’t afford to miss this ‘high-profit, no-risk’ offer.”
- If you hear these or similar “lines” from a telephone salesperson, just say “no thank you” and hang up the telephone.
