Division of Legal Services
	Kevin Potter, Administrator • Biography
	◊ Civil Litigation and Employment Unit ◊ Criminal Appeals ◊ Criminal Litigation, Antitrust, Consumer Protection, & Public Integrity ◊ Environmental Protection ◊ Medicaid Fraud Control ◊ State Programs, Administration & Revenue

Scams & Schemes: Telemarketing Fraud

Many telephone sales calls are made by legitimate organizations offering bona fide products and services, but some unsolicited phone calls can be frauds.  Consumers are encouraged to be skeptical when they get a "cold call."

Fraudulent telemarketers may get your phone number from a telephone directory, mailing list or a "sucker list" -- a directory of consumers who have already lost money to illegal prize promotions or merchandise sales. Consumers who have been deceived once are usually easy prey for additional scams.

Telemarketing Sales Rule

• The Federal Trade Commission has instituted a Telemarketing Sales Rule to help protect you from abusive and deceptive sales practices on the phone. Some of the restrictions include:
• Calling times are limited to the hours between 8 AM and 9 PM.
• Telemarketers must tell you it's a sales call, the name of the seller, and what they are selling before they make a sales pitch. If it is a prize promotion, they must say there is no purchase or payment necessary to enter or win.
• A telemarketer can't withdraw money from your checking account without your verifiable authorization.
• Telemarketers cannot lie to get you to pay, no matter what method of payment you use.
• Credit repair, advance-fee loan or credit services don't have to be paid for until the actual service has been delivered.
• It's illegal for a telemarketer to call you if you have asked not to be called.

Protect Yourself

• Both Wisconsin and the federal government maintain No Call lists.  Subject to the exceptions noted below, if you register your home telephone number on the No Call list, any telemarketer that calls you is violating the law.  To get on the Wisconsin No Call list, contact the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, at 1-866-966-2255 or www.datcp.state.wi.us.  To get on the Federal Trade Commission's Do Not Call Registry, call 1-888-382-1222 or visit the website at www.donotcall.gov.
• There are some exceptions to the No Call law.  A business can call you if you are a current customer.  Non-profit groups and political organizations can call you.  And businesses typically cannot register phone numbers.
• You may not be able to put some of the cold calls on ice, but you can protect yourself from fraud. Say "no" to high-pressure tactics. A legitimate business will respect the fact that you're not interested.
• Take your time when you are presented with a sales opportunity. Ask for written information about the product, service, investment opportunity or charity that's calling you. If you can't get the written information you asked for, then tell the caller you don't want to hear from them again. If they call back, they are breaking the law.
• Don't send money of any form (cash, check or money order) by courier , overnight delivery or a wire service to anyone who insists on immediate payment. This is a sure tip-off that a fraud is involved. Sharing information about bank accounts and credit cards is not a good idea, unless you know the company and how they will use the information.

This page created by the Department of Justice. All text, images or associated items are property of the Department of Justice, and may only be reproduced with the consent of the Department of Justice.
DOJ Home | Privacy Policy | Contact DOJ