Consumer Tips - Telemarketing

While many legitimate businesses use the telephone to make their sales, so do an increasing number of fraudulent companies.

To report deceptive telemarketing practices, contact your provincial or territorial consumer affairs office or the Competition Bureau. You may also call PhoneBusters at 1-888-495-8501. PhoneBusters is the national anti-fraud call centre operated by the Ontario Provincial Police in partnership with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and supported by industry and government partners. You can also learn about consumer scams and find advice on how to deal with them on the RCMP website.

Tips for Smart Telephone Shopping

• When you are told that you have won a prize, do not commit to purchase any product or pay additional fee in order to collect your prize.
• Always keep a record of the name, address and phone number of the person and the company, the goods you ordered, the date of your purchase, the amount you paid (including shipping and handling) and the method of payment.
• Keep a record of any delivery period that was promised.
• When you are told that the shipment will be delayed, write the date of that notice in your records and the new shipping date, if you've agreed to wait longer.

Use Caution and Common Sense

• Don't be pressured into acting immediately or without the full information you need.
• When an offer sounds too good to be true, think twice before making your final decision.
• Shop around and compare costs and services.
• Report all fraudulent activity or check the company out with your provincial or territorial consumer affairs office.
• To reduce telephone calls you do not want, sign up with the free Do Not Contact Service, operated by the Canadian Marketing Association.
• Deceptive notices of winning a prize may constitute an offence under the Competition Act. To report a deceptive notice of winning a prize, contact the Competition Bureau.

Vishing

Vishing" or "Voice Phishing" occurs when a fraudulent company uses a new technology called Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) through the telephone system to falsely claim to be a legitimate enterprise in an attempt to scam users into disclosing personal information. Government, financial institutions, as well as online auctions and their payment services, can be targets of Voice Phishing.

Typically, there is an incoming recorded telephone message that uses a fraudulent caller ID matching the identity of a misrepresented organization. The message directs unsuspecting users to another telephone number, where the victim is then told to punch their personal information on their telephone keypad. Criminals can then capture the key tones and convert them back to numerical format, stealing your information.

Vishing is used to target any numerical data, such as credit card information, PIN (Personal Identification Numbers), SIN (Social Insurance Numbers), date of birth, or bank account numbers.

Being aware of such fraudulent practices is the greatest form of protection, so always be suspicious when receiving any unsolicited incoming communication. Never provide personal information over the phone, and do not rely solely on your caller ID function as proof of an organization's legitimacy.

For more information, visit the Scams/Fraud section of the RCMP website.