Ask any mailman what the holidays bring and he will tell you that the mail is full of not just pretty packages and tins of cookies. From Thanksgiving until the start of the New Year every nonprofit heard of and those that are unknown will be mailing out solicitations and making phone calls asking for donations. The majority of these letters and calls will come from legitimate organizations that are trying to make our community a better place to live, to find cures for diseases, and help for those down on their luck. But the proverbial bad apple appears every holiday season just like the lights on the Christmas Tree on Church Street and sounds of the ringing of the bells of the Salvation Army kettles.
As the holiday approaches people are in a mood to help their neighbors and each year there are people who try to take advantage of this good will to line their own pockets. Often times seniors are targeted for this kind of fraud.
In addition to fraudulent charitable solicitations there will be a stack of lottery winning mailings and too good to be true offers over the phone this holiday season. Scam artist often targets seniors because they are seen as good targets. Many seniors trust that if the mailing says they have won or the telemarketers says they are collecting for a good charity that they are telling the truth.
But as the adage says that if it seems too good to be true it usually is. So this holiday season if you get a call saying that you just won free airline tickets but you have to make hotel reservations through them or if they say you won the lottery but you have to pay a handling fee to receive your winnings listen to the feeling in the pit of your stomach. Free means free, winning a prize means it should not cost you anything, and if you are feeling pressured to give an answer on the spot, them perhaps you know what that answer should be.
Americans lose $40 billion each year to fraudulent telemarketers and between $1-$2 billion of the money raised for charity in the US annually ends up in the pockets of fraudulent solicitors. Do not be taken to the cleaners this holiday season, do your homework, and know who you are talking to or verify the letter you got in the mail is from a reputable company or charitable organization.
When phone calls or postcards offer these too good to be true offers and all you have to pay is a small handling fee, taxes, or shipping beware. Some common phrases the US Postal Service warns consumers about is “You have been specially selected to hear this offer”, or “you’ll have a wonderful free bonus if you buy our product”. Legitimate companies will not pressure you to make up you mind on the spot, they will not demand a credit card number, and they will not refuse to mail you more information.
In the state of Vermont it is illegal for telemarketers to require you to pay any money or buy anything to enter a sweepstakes or to take money from your bank account without written consent. Remember you have 3 business days to cancel most purchases made over the phone.
Avoid becoming a victim during the holiday season. Don’t buy at the time of the sales pitch, no matter how pursuasive. The Attorney General's office offers these tips to protect you and your families this holiday season:
- Don’t give your credit card number over the phone unless you initiate the call or know the company is reputable.
- Never give you checking account number to a telemarketer.
- Never give personal information such as medical information, social security numbers, or a driver’s license number.
- Don’t pay for a prize.
- Insist on getting details in writing.
- Ask the caller to send information about the company before committing to buying anything.
- Call the Attorney General’s Consumer Assistance Program to see if complaints have been filed against them.
This holiday season give generously to your favorite charities and buy presents for the ones you love but make sure your money is going where you want it to and that you are not being conned. Ask questions. Ask who is calling, what they are selling, and make sure you get everything in writing. Don’t be a victim to consumer fraud by phone or mail. Vermonters lose millions of dollars each year as a result of fraud, the majority of them seniors, some who have lost their entire life savings.
For more information
Consumer Assistance Program - 1-800-649-2424
Consumer Assistance Program
104 Morrill Hall-UVM
Burlington, VT 05405-0106
Consumercomplaint@atg.state.vt.us
Office of the Attorney General
Consumer Protection Unit
109 State St
Montpelier, VT 05609-1001
802-828-5507
Sarah Lemnah writes on senior issues for the Champlain Valley Agency on Aging. This article originally appeared in the Burlington Free Press.
