What Can Legitimate Companies Do to Combat Telemarketing Scams?
Telemarketing scam operators use pressure and deception to convince people into giving them their money and personal information, often for little or nothing in return. Legitimate companies can combat telemarketing scams. They can inform the public, report fraud to various entities and avoid cooperation with suspected dishonest businesses. An added benefit is that all these actions help improve the image of legitimate companies.
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Publicity Efforts
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Businesses often have special means of informing the public about telemarketing scams, without specifying names or brands of suspected operators to avoid liability. One option involves putting scam warnings in company publications such as newsletters and websites. Another way to notify customers and employees is to put notices on bulletin boards in offices or stores.
Avoiding Cooperation
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Legitimate companies should avoid doing business with suspected scam operators. For example, newspapers and magazines can help combat fraudulent telemarketing by refusing to run advertisements from scam businesses that seek new employees or solicit calls. Don't let suspected scam operators gain any "seal of approval" from legitimate businesses that they can exploit for marketing purposes. To avoid cooperation with scam operators, legitimate companies have to screen business customers, but the Internet has made this relatively easy. A few online searches can reveal customers' experiences with a company and news of any legal action taken against it.
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Government Reporting
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Legitimate companies can also combat telemarketing scams by reporting suspected operators to various government agencies to help them warn the public and eventually prosecute offenders. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission offers a fraud-reporting form requiring contact information and details on the alleged scam. The FTC also recommends that businesses report suspected scams to their state's attorney general's office. Another method is to report telemarketing scams to the National "Do Not Call" Registry, if the caller contacted a registered number. Record the call's approximate time and date.
More Reporting
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The National Fraud Information Center offers a long online form to enter contact information and details on a suspected scam, as well as a phone number, 1-800-876-7060. Companies also can report telemarketing scams to Consumer Fraud Reporting, using its brief "Feedback" form, which requires only an email address and a name. An additional option is to contact the regional Better Business Bureau.
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