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Hello, and welcome to the Senior Information Line sponsored by the New York State Department of State Division of Consumer Protection, the State Office for the Aging and the Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Center for Elder Abuse Prevention at the Hebrew Home at Riverdale.
Each month, we bring you news you can use to be a smart senior in your everyday life. And remember, the information you hear on this phone line - - and more - - is also available online at www.nysconsumer.gov.
Are you tired of having your quiet time at home interrupted by annoying telemarketing calls? Now, more than ever, people are looking for ways to preserve the privacy of their home.
And it's not just a privacy issue - - telemarketing fraud is a crime that affects millions of Americans every year. If you're age 60 or older, you may be a special target for people who sell bogus products and services by phone. And if you do get cheated over the phone, it's very difficult to get your money back.
So its important to stop as many telemarketing calls as possible in the first place, and to learn to recognize the signs of telemarketing fraud.
You can greatly reduce the volume of telemarketing calls by registering your phone in the National Do Not Call Registry. Call toll-free 1-888-382-1222 from the phone number - - landline or cell - - that you wish to register. You can also register online at www.donotcall.gov.
Telemarketers have up to 31 days from the date you register to stop calling you.
There is no fee for this protection, and your registration will not expire.
Registering your phone with the Do Not Call Registry will stop most telemarketing calls, but not all. The registry does not apply to calls from or on behalf of political organizations, charities and telephone surveyors.
In addition, the registry does not apply to calls from companies with which you have an existing business relationship. So if you bought, leased or rented something from a company, they can call you for up to 18 months after the transaction - - even if your number is on the Do Not Call Registry.
In addition, if you submit an inquiry or application to a company, the company can call you during the next three months - - even if your number is registered.
So what can you do to stop calls from companies you've done business with before? Tell the caller to place your number on the company's own do not call list. The company must honor your request for the next ten years.
You can also reduce telemarketing calls by getting Caller ID on your home phone. Telemarketers are prohibited from blocking information from appearing on your Caller ID box. You can also consider having an unlisted or unpublished number as telemarketers often get their lists from the local telephone directory.
It's also important to recognize the signs of telemarketing fraud, like callers who ask for money up front or want to know your bank account, credit card or Social Security number. Scammers may even have your billing information before they call you. Often, they're trying to get you to say "okay" so they can claim you approved a charge. Or they may be trying to get your personal identifying information so they can commit identity theft.
Warning signs of these scams include unsolicited offers of "free" or "low cost" vacations or other products, promises about "get rich quick" schemes, statements that you must "act now" or the offer won't be good, and claims that you've won a free prize or gift but have to pay upfront "handling" or other fees. If you hear something like this, hang up the phone.
If you think you've received a call that violates the Do Not Call law, or if you've been scammed by a telemarketer, report it to the New York State Department of State Division of Consumer Protectionby calling 1-800-697-1220 or going to www.nysconsumer.gov.
Oh, and don't forget to get your flu shot this season.
Thanks for calling the Senior Information Line. Tell your friends about this service. A new message will be posted next month.