Lately I have been getting calls to  my landline from a blocked number.  The call is clearly auto-dialed with a pause before a live person .  on.  the call clearly comes from an overseas call center.  The person comes on the line with a generic American name and says he/she is from “geek support” and is calling about my computer.   I don’t have any technical support calls in on my computers, and I know it is a scam.  I try to engage the caller, but he senses something is fishy and he hangs up.

I think these are the same people that called my elderly mother.  They got her quite worried, and she was ready to go along with their pitch until she figured something was wrong and hung up.

I have never subscribed to the argument that scammers should have free reign to take advantage of the most mentally infirm customers.  When you think about it, we all hope to get to the point one day when we don’t have the mental skills we had at our peek.  At the same time, when we are aged, we don’t want to have to be locked in a closet to keep from being preyed upon by every scammer under the sun.  I don’t believe in a “gotcha” society.  It shouldn’t be “open season on grandma”.  

What can you do about overseas telemarketing scams? Realistically, there’s not a whole lot that I can do as a private lawyer about overseas scammers using blocked numbers. The Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communication Commission, on the other hand have more resources and international connections, and they can. They just need to make it a higher priority.  If you receive a predatory call, complain to the FCC  and The FTC.  If you have the opportunity, see if you can get information from the scammer to identify them and the numbers they are calling from.   If you or your family members give them money, if it is by credit or debit card, contact the company that issued your card and ask about their fraud procedure.  If you give them personal information and/or access to your computer, that creates a messy situation that is not easily resolved and has to be handled on a case by case basis.

Here’s a link to FTC information on phone scams.

One last thing: it is easier dealing with telemarketing calls to cell phones rather than land lines. If you are getting telemarketing calls to your cell phone, you should make a recording of you getting information about the identity of the caller and you telling the caller that they do not have permission to call your cell phone, then give the number. If they call you after that, using an automated dialer or recorded voice, you can sue them for damages based on the number of calls they made.  If you are getting auto-dialed telemarketing (or collections) calls, contact our office or find an attorney close to you through the National Association of Consumer Advocates at www.naca.net.