Ieyoub said many other Attorneys General around the country are facing the same problems. The Attorney General says people with the bullseye tend to be our senior citizens and others on fixed incomes who can ill afford to throw away their money. And its not just Canadian telemarketing firms causing the most grief. American firms give consumers the same problems. According to Ieyoub, consumers should carefully scrutinize these types of phone pitches since nearly all of them are bogus.
Prizes are free.
If any payment or purchase is required, it's a sales transaction, not a prize. Don't be deceived by letters that look official or urgent. It's illegal for a telemarketer to misrepresent an affiliation with or an endorsement by a government agency or other third party. Ask for printed material before you agree to anything over the phone. If you do receive written prize offers, read the fine print very carefully.