Telemarketing fraud

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Telemarketing fraud is fraudulent selling conducted over the phone. It most often targets the poor and elderly. Common types include:

• Advance fee fraud (typically claiming that the victim will receive a lottery prize, government grant or loan, etc)
• Pyramid schemes and other misrepresented investments or business opportunities
• Overpayment fraud (where the victim is overpaid for a classified advertising or online auction purchase, with a counterfeit check or money order, and asked to wire back some of the excess)
• Charity fraud
• Misrepresented office supplies (most commonly toner) or directory listing services

[edit] References

• Competition Bureau of Canada and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (2006). PhoneBusters: Recognize It.
• United States Department of Justice (1998). What Kinds Of Telemarketing Schemes Are Out There?.