Tele-Marketing Scams
Telemarketing Scams are widespread and have been around for years. Many
businesses use telemarketing to genuinely sell or introduce products to
consumers, however, more scam artists use telemarketing to swindle millions of
pounds a year from consumers.
Often,
they are very pushy, and will say anything to get money. There are many ways
scam artists use telemarketing, from selling products and services to seeking
charity donations or offering investment opportunities including stocks and
shares.
These
scam artists push consumers into making a decision immediately, using a high
pressured sales approach urging the consumer to ‘act now', as their limited
offer wont be available later, and is not available in stores. Often, the offer
is too good to be true. They also want the money for the sale immediately and
will require payment by credit or debit card.
The
result of telemarketing scams normally leave consumers with nothing in return
for the money they have handed over, or with a low quality product that could be
bought in shops for a lot less money.
These
scam artists often make it difficult to contact the company that provided the
products, or the company is never found as they pack up and leave after a small
amount of time.
Prevention
The best
way to prevent been scammed out of your money through a telemarketing scam is to
ask the caller to send you some information about the product or
service. Legitimate telemarketing companies will be happy to send a brochure or
marketing materials to assist you to make a buying decision.
Never
make a decision immediately whilst on the phone. If you are interested in their
product, tell the caller that you need to think about it, and get their name,
company details and telephone number. If the company is genuine about making
sales, they will be happy with this arrangement. Resist their high-pressure
techniques urging you to ‘act now.'
Never
give out any banking or credit card information over the phone to a person that
has called you for the first time. With these details, fraudsters can withdraw
your money or use your credit card fraudulently.
If you
would prefer not to receive any marketing telephone calls you can also register
with the
Telephone Preference Service free of charge.
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