10 Warning Signs of Fraud

Be alert for these statements when a telemarketer calls you. They are important warnings telling you to be suspicious:

• You've "won a prize," or "a prize has been reserved for you."
• You've been "selected to receive" a special offer.
• You must "act immediately" or lose your chance for a special offer.
• You must spend money to "reserve your free gift" or "pay for shipping for your gift."
• You're promised "fantastic financial returns" or "risk-free investing."
• You're told that a "legal loophole allows people in the know" to profit from a "one-time-only situation."
• You're asked for your credit card number and expiration date "to make sure you are a credit card holder."
• You're asked for your Social Security number or personal financial information, such as your bank account number.
• You're asked to donate to an agency that sounds like a well-known charity, such as the "American Cancer Center" (instead of the American Cancer Society).
• You're asked to give to an organization you don't know, but that sounds like it's linked to a public agency, like the "Police Support Center."

Remember - if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Where can you call if you think you've been cheated?

• Steuben County Sheriff’s Office  607-622-3901
• The National Fraud Information Center: 1-800-876-7060
• The Federal Trade Commission: 1-202-326-2000
• The Postal Service, for mail fraud: Check your local phone book for the postal inspector.
• The attorney general's office for your state, or the district attorney or consumer affairs agency in your region: Check your local phone book.