Many types of fraud start with a phone call. Do you know who’s calling you?If not, you may be putting your hard-earned money at risk.

Fraudulent telemarketing calls affect millions of people every year. Recently, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced the largest telemarketing fraud case sweep in their history, including 180 law enforcement actions by federal, state, and local agencies. The FTC filed federal district court complaints against 13 allegedly deceptive telemarketing operations. The FTC estimates the companies involved defrauded more than 500,000 consumers, resulting in over $100 million in losses.

African American consumers may more likely be victims of fraud. FTC’s fraud survey report, Consumer Fraud in the United States, noted that African Americans were more likely to have experienced fraud than non-Hispanic whites. For African Americans, the three most frequently reported frauds were paying an advanced fee for a promised credit card or loan; being billed for a buyers’ club membership the consumer had not agreed to purchase; and fraudulent foreign lotteries.

Through its new Who’s Calling? Recognize and Report Phone Fraud campaign and Web site, (ftc.gov/phonefraud) the FTC provides three R’s that consumers can use to stop fraud:

Recognize. Learn steps to avoid telemarketing fraud, including:
Check the clock. Calling times from legitimate telemarketers are restricted to the hours between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.
Ask why they are calling. Telemarketers must tell you it’s a sales call, the name of the seller and what they’re selling before they make their pitch.

Know who you’re dealing with. Do business only with companies that clearly provide their name, street address, and phone number.
Protect your personal information. Don’t give your credit card, checking account, or Social Security number to unknown callers.
Don’t be pressured to make an immediate decision. Just about any offer that’s good today will be good tomorrow, too.

Get the offer in writing. Get all information in writing before you pay.

Report fraud to the FTC.

Register your phone number on the National Do Not Call Registry at DoNotCall.gov, or by calling 1-888-382-1222 from the number you are registering.

For more information about specific types of telemarketing scams, and to learn additional signs of fraud, go to ftc.gov/phonefraud. The site is accessible in Spanish at ftc.gov/fraudetelefonico.