Even then, she was reluctant to admit she'd been swindled. According to the National Fraud Information Center, there are an estimated 14,000 illegal telemarketing operations that swindle thousands of victims every day. Older adults are frequent targets. In actuality, illegal telemarketing is a serious crime, punishable by heavy fines and long prison sentences. Every telephone call you receive from a stranger, no matter how enticing the offer may seem, should be handled the same way - with caution.
Legitimate companies are willing to send written information about their products and services.
It's illegal for contests or sweepstakes to require payment to enter or claim a prize. Once your money or financial information is in a fraudulent telemarketer's hands, chances are you've lost it forever. You can't tell by a person's voice whether that person is legitimate. Hanging up on a suspicious caller is no more impolite than locking your door to keep a stranger out of your home. You Can Fight Fraud Report suspected telemarketing crime to stop it.