The following article was published in the Grand Ledge Independent on Sunday, June 13, 2004

HOW TO BEAT THE SCAMMERS BEFORE THEY BEAT YOU!
By Marlaine C. Teahan, Attorney and Counselor at Law

There are many, many scam artists who will happily separate you from your hard-earned savings and retirement funds.  Scams directed at the elderly are even more prevalent.  Protect yourself from being a scam victim by arming yourself with information.

Be aware of the prevalent scams in your area. Here is a sampling of current scams in our area:

• Lansing Police Chief Scam – the “Lansing Police Chief” calls and wants to help you so that you don’t become a victim in a banking scam.  The caller (who is NOT the Chief) then asks for your bank account number and sample “counterfeit” money.  These calls are not from the Lansing Police Department!  Do not give money or bank account numbers!  Victims have also had “officers” show up at their home flashing badges with similar claims regarding bank scams.  You should ask to see their badge and ID card.  All Lansing Police Department badges and ID cards say Lansing Police on them.  Do not take a mere “flash” of a badge as proof that the person is an officer or detective.
• Medicare Scam – a “worker” from the “Medicare Planning Center” calls Medicare enrollees and indicates that because of changes in the enrollee’s benefits, the worker is required to update their records and will waive the usual $95.00 charge for this service.  The worker then asks for the enrollee’s bank routing number and account number.  What makes this scam sound official is that the caller has the enrollee’s social security number.  AARP has sent out alerts regarding this scam indicating that Medicare has not made these calls and does not charge enrollees a fee to update their information.
• Social Security Number Scam.  A caller tells you that the Social Security Administration’s computer crashed and they need to rebuild their database the “old-fashioned way.”  The caller then asks for your social security number on the phone.  (See LSJ, John Schneider column 4-20-04.) 
• Home Repair Scams.  Be wary of door-to-door solicitations for home repairs.  Obtain 2-3 estimates.  Ask to see the contractor’s license and check on www.michigan.gov to be sure they are in fact licensed.  Do not leave home repair workers alone in your home.
• Foreign Lottery Scams.  (See LSJ, John Schneider column 3-5-04.)
• Luxury Dream Vacation Offers/Winnings
• Investment Scams promising amazing profits.
• Charity Scams like the “Firefighters Scholarship Fund.”  Often firefighters actually receive very little money from these scammers.

Be aware of warning signs that you are dealing with a scammer.  Unsolicited mail and phone calls are the primary methods used to communicate scams.  Here are tips for spotting a scammer, taken from the Tips from the Seniors web page of www.fraud.org.

• The caller asks for your social security number.  Do not give any caller your social security number!
• The caller asks for your credit card number, bank account number, or other financial information.  Do not give any caller your credit card number or bank account number.
• You are told that you’ve won a prize but you must pay processing or administrative fees, for customs, for taxes, or any other reason.
• The person says you have to take the offer immediately or you’ll miss the opportunity.
• The caller refuses to send you written information before you commit to anything.
• The caller claims that you can make huge profits in an investment with no risk.
• The caller is asking for a donation but won’t tell you exactly how the money will be used and how you can verify the charity and what it does.  The Better Business Bureau Wise (BBB) Giving Alliance offers information about national charities.  Call 703-276-0100 or go to www.give.org to find out if the “charity” really is a charity.
• The caller insists that you send your payment by a private courier or wire money.
• They company asks for cash.
• The company calls you relentlessly or after you’ve asked not to be called anymore.

Be aware of how to handle a scammer once you have spotted one.  The tactics listed above ARE NOT used by legitimate companies.  If you notice any of the above tactics being used AGAINST you, do the following:

• Say no thank you, ask to be taken off their call list and hang up.  Do not wait for their reply.
• Sometimes a polite no thank you is taken as an invitation to keep trying to persuade you – with this type of caller the best response is rudeness – just hang up.
• If all else fails, indicate that you are going to call the police.  This approach should end the call rather quickly.

Be aware of how to make a complaint.  Contact Michigan’s Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division, P.O. Box 30213, Lansing, MI 48909, 517-373-1140, www.michigan.gov/ag, or the Federal Trade Commission, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY:  1-866-653-4261, www.ftc.gov.

Be aware of how to get off of the mailing lists and phone call lists.  As the old saw goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  Before you become a victim, get off of as many phone/mailing lists as possible. 

• Sign up for the national “do not call” registry.  It’s free.  Call (888) 382-1222, TTY (866) 290-4326 from the phone number you want to register or register online at www.donotcall.gov.
• Contact the Direct Marketing Association and request your name to be added to the “Do Not Call” and “Do Not Mail” lists.  Send requests, in writing, to:  Telephone Preference Service, c/o Direct Marketing Association, P.O. Box 9014, Farmingdale, NY 11735-9014 and Mail Preference Service, c/o Direct Marketing Association, P.O. Box 9008 Farmingdale, NY 11735-9008
• To eliminate unwanted credit card solicitations and insurance offers, notify the credit reporting agencies either by telephone or in writing.  Notification by telephone prohibits them from using your information to initiate offers of credit without your consent for two years.  Written notification permanently prohibits the use of your information.  The phone number to use to opt out for all credit reporting agencies is 1-888-567-8688.  The addresses are:  Experian Information Solutions, P.O. Box 919, Allen, TX 75013, Equifax Options, P.O. Box 740123, Atlanta, GA 30374-0123, and Trans Union Corporation, Attention: Marketing Opt-Out, P.O. Box 97328, Jackson, MS 39288-7328.
• Meanwhile, until your name appears on the above do not call lists, whenever you receive a junk phone call, ask the person to place you on their “do not call list.” 
• Opt out of having your personal information being shared [read that “sold”] by your bank, your credit card company, the phone company, etc. 
• Do not provide personal information that is not necessary to the transaction you are engaged in.  (For example – when a retailer asks you for you phone number, say no thank you.)

© Marlaine C. Teahan, Marlaine C. Teahan, PLC 2004.