Consumers who paid by check or money order had little recourse when it came to getting their money back. To help protect yourself when shopping through an online auction, ask about using an escrow service, which collects your payment and forwards it to the seller when you confirm that you have received the merchandise. Most escrow services charge a small fee, but the investment may well be worth it. Another option is to pay cash on delivery. Although most phone sales pitches are made on behalf of legitimate organizations offering bona fide products and services, some telemarketing calls are fraudulent.
Telephone fraud knows no race, ethnic, gender, age, education or income barriers.
Anyone with a phone can be victimized by telemarketing scam artists. You also may get a letter or postcard saying that you've won a prize or contest when you really haven't - a scam to deceive you and take your money. Fortunately, there are laws to help protect you. The Federal Trade Commission's Telemarketing Sales Rule and the Wisconsin Direct Marketing Rule require telemarketers to make certain disclosures and prohibit misrepresentations. Telemarketers cannot call before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., and it's illegal for a telemarketer to call you if you've asked not to be called.