News
Scammers Impersonate FTC, Promise Phony Sweepstakes Prizes
Someone who claims to work for the Federal Trade Commission calls to inform you that you have won a lottery or sweepstakes. To receive the prize, all you have to do is pay the taxes and insurance. The caller asks you to wire money or send a check for an amount between $1,000 and $10,000. What should you do? Don’t send money or account information, and immediately report the incident to the real Federal Trade Commission.Houlihan Smith Sues 800notes for Criticism and Loses
Houlihan Smith, an investment bank, whose business and telemarketing calls in particular have been criticized at 800notes.com and whocallsme.com, our sister website, decided to shut down the criticism by filing a lawsuit against us, the website owners.Caller ID Spoofing Outlawed by Congress
The House on Wednesday passed a bill that bans caller ID spoofing. Callers will be banned from transmitting misleading or inaccurate caller ID information on any voice communications services, including VoIP.Auto Warranty Robocallers Must Sell Own Cars For Consumer Redress
A deceptive robocall operation that allegedly used millions of pre-recorded telemarketing messages to fraudulently pitch extended auto warranties to U.S. consumers will pay more than $655,000 in consumer redress and will be permanently banned from telemarketing, as part of a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission.Confessions of a Collector
A.G. Gancarski at The Daily Caller has published a story called "Debtor’s Prism: Confessions of a collector" in which he shares his experience working for a collection agency.
New 800notes Design and Features
You could not have missed it: this past weekend we updated the website with a new design and added some long-requested features.Florida Man Charged in Telephone Cramming Scheme
A Florida man has been charged with mail fraud and wire fraud in connection with a so-called telephone cramming scheme, which was designed to place charges on consumers’ telephone bills for collect calls that were not made.Vision Media Sues 800notes
Vision Media, a company that produces television promotions for non-profit groups, filed a law suit against us after we refused to remove unfavorable postings about the company and identify the authors of postings in which they accuse Vision Media of deceptive advertising.This Week Roundup: New in Phone Scams (Jan. 24)
Medicare beneficiaries warned of new phone scam; NY Attorney General Seeks to Shut Down 4 Telemarketers.FDA Warn Consumers About Phone Scam to Collect Fake Fines
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning the public about criminals posing as FDA special agents and other law enforcement personnel as part of an international extortion scam.
Toronto Telemarketing Firm Fined $15M For Business Directory Scam
A Toronto firm has been fined a record $15 million in Ontario Superior Court for operating a business directory scam that targeted U.S. and Canadian businesses.This Week Roundup: New in Phone Scams (Dec. 11)
LA officials warn residents about roof-inspection scam; Ohio officials say unemployment scams on the rise.FTC Goes After Credit Card Robocall Scammers
The Federal Trade Commission just announced its second major law enforcement effort this year targeting telemarketers who violated the Do Not Call Rule and other laws by making hundreds of thousands or even millions of pre-recorded robocalls to consumers.This Week Roundup: New in Phone Scams (Nov. 13)
Phone Scam Offers 'Free' English Classes to Spanish Speakers, Inmate Phone Scam Targets Texans, Illinois Attorney General Sues Credit Reduction Telemarketers.This Week Roundup: New in Phone Scams (Nov. 6)
Telemarketer Admits Internet Scam of up to $75M, Florida State Launching Major Crackdown on Debt Collectors, and Small Business Scam Alert: New Phone Scam to Watch out For.