For Release:
June 25, 2002 Scam Artists Use Do Not Call
Registry to Commit Fraud
Phony FTC "Officials" Trick Consumers
into "Verifying" Personal Information
Scam artists capitalizing on the popularity of existing state
"Do Not Call" lists and the proposed FTC "Do Not Call" registry have
devised yet another method to trick consumers into giving up personal information, such as
their Social Security number, bank account number, credit card number or telephone calling
card number.
Here's how the scam works: someone calls you claiming to
represent a "Do Not Call" registry or the FTC. The phony registry
"official" asks for your personal information, supposedly to verify that you are
on the "Do Not Call" list. The caller is a con artist who could use your
personal information to run up debts in your name or otherwise steal your identity. Once a
consumer signs up with a state's actual "Do Not Call" registry, there is no need
to confirm personal information.
The National Association of Attorneys General, the Direct
Marketing Association, the National Consumers League, and the AARP all urge consumers to
be cautious with their personal information. According to FTC Chairman Timothy J. Muris,
consumers can avoid these scams by taking the following precautions:
- Don't share your personal information if someone calls you
claiming to represent a "Do Not Call" registry, an organization attempting to
stop fraud, or even the FTC itself. In fact, don't even stay on the line.
- Keep information about your bank accounts and credit cards to
yourself - including the numbers, unless you know the person with whom you're dealing.
- Never share your Social Security number with a person you
don't know.
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