Slamming and Cramming

Slamming and cramming are so common now a days in telephone scams. Slamming is the illegal ways of changing your local or long distance telephone services without your permission. A telephone company should obtain the customer's permission through a written or electronic letter of the agency, electronic verification from the customer's telephone number, or an independent third party verification. Cramming is adding charges illegaly to your telephone bill for services that you did not use.

If you are a victim of these two illegal practices, contact the company. Tell them upfront that you want the problem resolved the soonest time possible. Make necessary arrangements with regards to payments. If you have not paid the bill, tell them you will not pay the bill to the date your phone was scammed. Request for reimbursement for any charges incurred to your bill from the unwanted switch. FCC rules say that you do not have to pay the first 30 days of service from the unwanted switch. Tell the company you want to be switched back to your old phone service provider.

File the slamming and cramming reports to FCC. Know your rights and be vigilant. Protect your phone number.

Understanding Phone Verification Services

There are so many Phone scams happening all around. The easiest and most powerful way of stopping these telephone frauds and scams is to verify the phone numbers. It is the simplest and most widely used technology available in real-time verification. This technology allows you to access details and information about a phone number.

It is easy to use. If you to wish a verify a number, simply go to the web site of verifyphone.com and enter the telephone number at the site. The site will automatically provide you the details you need to access like owner name, location and if somebody else has also reported this phone number as suspicious or spammy. Also, the inquiries you make are all confidential.

Phone verification services help you with all your unwanted calls concerns. It is defintely a means to address frauds and scams that have victimized lots of people.

Ten Ways You Can Be Phone Scammed

Initially, I was not aware that there were so many telephone scams happening around the globe, especially in the U.S.A. and in the U.K. It was so rampant and I thought I should do more blogs in getting out the words to as many people as possible to create awareness and do my share in stopping these horrible scams.  There are lots of ways how one can be scammed. I will list the ten most popular and how the scammers go about with each one of them.

1. Fake Bank Alert Messages
A fake message from a local bank calls and tells you to call a free toll number because your card is being suspended. When you do the call, the one at the other end will ask for your account information including your name, date of birth, credit card number, and other information. Once they get hold of these details, they commit identity theft charging your credit card, applying for loans, applying for new credit cards under your name, and issuing fraudulent checks.

2. Travel Frauds.
These scams offer travel packages that sounds so legitimate but are not. The scams have different variations. Skilled telemarketers will call you and inform you that you have received a free travel package and to be able to be eligible, you should join their travel club. After joining, you will find out later that you are required to pay a fee to make a reservation. You will soon learn that you did not earn the free trip because your reservation was not confirmed or that you must meet hard-to-comply or expensive conditions.

3. Loan Scams.
A telemarketer promises a consumer for a loan or credit card on very attractive packages. The caller will persuade the victim that he just need to provide his checking account information or pay a processing fee to avail of the loan or credit card package. The caller would even offer free laptop, iPod, or any hot gadget to make it more attractive. After the payment is made by the victim, the company disappears with the victim left with an empty checking account and non-sufficient funds (NSF) bank fees.

4. Free Prize Distribution Centers
These scams work by calling a consumer and telling him that he has won hot and attractive freebies because of buying items from a grocery store or other items bought via the internet. When the victim is convinced, the caller would then ask the cosumer to verify his identity by giving personal inforation such as PIN numbers, and account information such as checking account numbers or credit card numbers. When the caller got these information, the victim is now most likely a target of identity theft. The criminal can make loans under his name and use his credit cards for purchases.

5. Sweepstakes and Lottery Frauds
A caller will call to inform you that you have won in the lottery. Many won, actually, because lots of people receive the same call. The caller will entice you to make a relatively small fee for the processing of your prize, handling fee, or sales tax, which he will say is so small compared to the huge amount you won in the sweepstakes or lottery. After you made the payment, you will never hear from them again. No lottery winnings for you.

6. Bogus Charities or Fund Raising Operations
These scams work when someone calls you and ask for donations for a certain charity or fund raising to help victims of whatever latest natural disaster happened in the world, or fund raising for a very humanely cost.

7. International Phone Call Scams
These scams work when a caller leaves you a message asking you to call a number which appears to be just a local long-distance call. The reasons you should make the call are because you won in the lottery or that a relative from another area has had an accident. And because there are so many phone numbers that look like local numbers, you make the calls. Once you do, the other end will do everything to keep you on the line as long as he can. When your phone bill comes, you will now learn that you have been charged $2500 or more for that call.

8. Cramming
"Cramming" is when your telephone bill pops up with charges for voice mailing, paging, or club membership. This scam works when you are asked to return a missed call because it is your lucky day and you have won a free trip to somewhere. When the call is made, an automated system is activated and you are suddenly enrolled in a program or club and your phone bill was placed with a charge. The crammer just picks any phone number and place charges on your bill through your phone company claiming that you agreed to purchase some service.

9. Get Rich Quick Schemes
The scammer will allure the victim, most often are stay at home moms and entrepreneurs and would be promised great earning via a business done from home, usually with Ebay, he will say, or by making sales calls. The caller will tell the victim that he is required to make a initial investment. When the payment is made, the company disappears.

10. Auto Warranties
This is usually a robo call. The recording usually starts with "This is your final notice. The warranty on your car is about to expire...". The caller does not have any idea whether you have a car or a warranty at that. After the recording is played, you are connected to a live oprator who is so talented he will persuade you to make payments using high-pressure tactics.

Day by day, more and more new scams happen via phone calls. Keep your guard up. Get the caller ID and verify the phone number. Get as many information about the number and report to authorities. Inform your family, friends, acquaintances about these scams. Email this article to them. Let us all help one another in stopping these scams by creating awareness to many.

Benefits of Verifying Phone Numbers for a Business

If you run a business and is after saving time and effort while producing results, verifying phone numbers of clients would be valuable for you. At a point when maximizing hours of the day is crucial for a business to thrive and garner more fruits, looking through yellow pages or traditional means of knowing contact numbers might be futile and would take up lots of your precious time.

Being able to find phone numbers of clients saves you time and money, improves customer service, and enhances the quality of your over all data. Customers would be happy if you knew how to reach them to follow up services, initiating good customer relations. If you know the numbers of your clients, it will be an additional good point for you. You can establish a list of your effective clients' phone number by verifying their phone numbers & by knowing is anybody has reported ill while doing business with them.

Add efficiency to your business system by making an effective list of customers' contact number details.

Benefits of Verifying a Phone Number

You should treat your phone number as valuable as you treat your personal numbers like your account number, credit card number, and PIN numbers. Your telephone number holds a personal part of you. So, everytime you receive calls that are unwanted, unexpected, and are all-in-all something that invades your privacy, you shoud vigilantly guard it.

When you receive calls that disturbs you, verifying the number is a very wise thing to do. You will benefit so much from doing so. Some benefits of verifying phone numbers would be:
1. Being able to identify the caller that keeps on disturbing you.
2. You have the access to know the information you need to know about the caller.
3. You can readily report the incident with all the details you need to provide with your report and complaint.
4. You guard yourself.
5. You create awareness and help in disseminating information to more people.
6. You help in stopping scams by giving your share in fighting these scams.

The next time you get an unwanted call, verify that phone number. Keep in mind the benefits you will get when you lift a finger to give your share in stopping the many crimes committed via phone calls.

Looking for Tutors

It is almost school time. Your kids are doing well in school. However, you really believe that if they are guided appropriately, they will fare better. Even though you want to do it yourself, you cannot because of the many things that you also need to attend to. So, sometimes, you just get contented asking them how their day in school went through.

Looking for the best tutor is not easy. You will see lots of advertisements around. But of course, you would not want just anybody. The tutor should be someone who knows what she is doing, and has compassion in really helping the kids to learn. Your kids should also be comfortable with her.

When you see an advertisement about tutorial service providers and private tutors, you will find that having a pre-interview via the phone is helpful. You can then give them a call and start your pre-interview process. Beside the ads and pre-interview, check out reviews shared by others about the tutor using their phone number.

Tutors, when properly selected are definitely great help in guiding your kids in learning. They provide not only necessary knowledge but helps in boosting your kid's confidence as well.

Homeschool Verification

Some parents today homeschool their kids. Homeschool is a great school choice money-wise and in terms of unlimited teaching experiences one can give to his or her child. Those who are just starting and do not know how or where to start usually research on the web to look for homeschool providers that can help them out with curriculum, lessons and recording. There are so many options available on how one can get through schooling. This is one wise decision any parent can make.

However, as if it seems that nothing escapes criminal's thoughts, they have once again used this wonderful option to make their criminal schemes. They use homeschooling to fool parents. They will call them and offer homeschooling complete with curriculum, lessons, and recording options. They will also say that they are accredited. They will give the best offers and make sure that the parent is hooked. The scammer will not proceed to asking for payments, and follow up with other payments the parent should make to get the homeschooling resources. The victim, in his desire to get the best buy for his or her kid's homeschooling needs just fall for the trap.

If you get this kind of call, do not just give out your credit card number or just readily pay. Check out tif they are what they claim to be, and if suspicious, report to FTC and to the police. Create awareness of the incident among your family and friends so that the words will go out and protect other parents.

Homeschooling starts at home, as the word implies. No one is a better homeschool resource than you, the parent, yourself. If you need to get materials, there are lots available on line, and better ask people who have experiences doing homeschool to help you start. Do not get help from strangers, especially telemarketers you do not even see face to face.

Phone Scams Selling Google Ads

Calls selling Google ads are everywhere in the U.S.A. today. Lots of complaints about these calls are being posted in forums and websites of phone scams. FTC has also been receiving reports of these incidents. It is becoming rampant and should be given enough attention and be put into the light so that more people will become aware of this kind of scam.

Google ads does not sell ads via phone. Every advertising transaction is done online, with proper Google authorities. Robo calls trying to sell Google ads are nothing but pure scam. Do not deal with them. If you wish to get advertised on Google, search on their website and you will find links that can help you and guide you on how to do it. Be careful on dealing with these types of calls and businesses. Research wide and know details before diving into such transactions.

The phone calls calling you should be reported to proper authorities. Get more details about this phone number & share reviews with other community. Take all necessary actions to help in stopping these scams today. All the data you need about these scam calls are handful in verifyphone. You can also list your phone number on the Do Not Call List of FTC so you can avoid getting these calls in the future.

Purely harassment scams

There are people complaining of phone calls that are totally harassing them to give money or to pay the consequences. The scammer will frigthen the victim of doing misdemeanors to them if they do not give the money. And indeed, the callers really sound scary. They might also do some harassment to you like throw stones at your windows or knock wildy on your doors. Some people do get intimidated and just dole out the money. But those who are braver seek help from the authorities and answer back the criminals with courage.

This event is quite scary but one should stand his ground. Verify the phone number that harasses you with this scheme. Verifyphone.com can give you all the necessary information you need. Report the incident promptly. Seek help from authorities and trusted people that you know can help you.

Stand your ground. Hang up the phone uprightly and do not give the criminal a chance to speak. Report immediately to the police and FTC. Spread the word to your neighbors, family, and friends. Put the criminals' actions into the light. Be courageous and show the criminal whom he is dealing with.

Mystery woman calls

Phone calls fom a mystery woman that usually happens late at night are common phone scams. Women callers will identify themselves as mistresses if the wife answers and old girlfriends with a child from the husband if the man of the house answers. She will tell the wife not to tell her husband that she called and put the wife into an emotional blackmail. Later on, she will ask the wife for money that she needs to totally withdraw from the illicit affair she was supposedly having with the husband. For the husband, the supposed old girlfriend will ask for money support for their sick lovechild. Before she does, she first makes sure that she has hooked the husband emotionally.

The poor couple will give out money if they fall into this scheme. Do not become victims of such folly. Do not readily trust what she is saying.  Whatever calls you get, talk to your partner and verify these notions. Be open and honest. Verify also the phone number of the mystery woman via verifyphone.com. Get her details and verify her identity. Check out if others have reported this phone number as suspicious. Report to the authorities as necessary.

These scammers will do everything and anything just to squeeze out money from their victims. Always be on guard. Trust, honesty, and openness can help couples to prevent being victimized with such crimes. Be vigilant and help each other.

"Granny" Scams

There is an ongoing phone scam in the Ottawa area called "Granny" scam. The scheme goes like this. A supposed "grandson" would call the elderly person and ask for money because he supposedly ran afoul of a law enforcement. He will plead to the would-be victim and say everything to persuade him, using emotional tactics. Included in the "script" is that "Granny" should not tell any family members because that would just make things worse. The criminal would request "Granny" to send the money he needs for his trouble by money wire service. The "grandson" would give "Granny" a fake phone number to call, and when he calls the other end, a fake policeman or lawyer will answer and ask to wire several thousands of dollars. This will continue until the criminals suck as much money as they can from the poor, old victim.

These victims, after they lost their money, which is anywhere between $3,000 to $15,000, report the incidents to authorities. Authorities believe there are others who don't report the incident at all due to embarassment.

If you receive such calls, here is what you should do:
1. Never wire money to persons you do not know personally.
2. Contact the family members to verify about the whereabouts of the supposed "grandson".
3. Write down the caller's number. Verify it via verifyphone.com so you can access more details about this caller. Report promptly to the police and FTC.

The criminals never stop. They will victimize from one state to another. Be vigilant and aware.

Hotel Phone Scam

If you are an out-of-towner who is staying in a hotel, be aware of this ongoing hotel phone scam. One victim in an Econo lodge at Erie Boulevard shared his story. At around 9PM, he got a call from the front desk asking him for a deposit for the phone use. He said that he will go down and pay, but the person talking on the other end said that a hotel employee will just come up to his room and get the deposit. And a minute later, a knock is on his door, the supposed hotel employee was there getting the money from him. The following day, he inquired at the front desk and the lady there said that the hotel never asks for a phone use deposit. He reported the incident to the police promptly and necessary actions were made.

This story should be a cause of alarm to us. Do not just go out of town unless you have a sure accomodation waiting for you. Verify the guest house or hotel where you will stay. Call the numbers of these hotels or guest houses and inquire about all the services they offer. Verifyphone.com offers many contact numbers of hotels and its reviews. You can contact these hotels beforehand and make all necessary arrangements that you are most comfortable with and that you feel you are secure and safe.

Your trip should be something nice to remember, and not a nightmare you would rather forget. So, make all vital arrangements before proceeding with your out of town travel.

Goin out of town scams

When you are out of town, and criminals tend to know, there is an ongoing scam that bothers these out-of-towners. Somehow, the criminals manage to access the victim's phone number and calls him about emergency situations. One situation they will bother the victim with is that there will be an ongoing patrol checking out the vicinity and if the home owners are not home or was not able to give authorization to the housekeeper, they should at least, submit their identification data like Social Security number and PIN number. Since the victim was pre-occupied with not being at home, he is quickly intimidated. Thus, he just give out his personal numbers. This is the start of the identity theft scam that victimizes him. From here, loans and transaction are made under his name without him knowing it until he gets notices and finds himself in deep debt.
Guard yourself from these kinds of scams. Be on watch always. Do not readily give out your personal numbers to anyone no matter how desperate the situation or condition they tell you that you are in.
Check out the phone number they used to call you via verifyphone.com. Get all the necessary details you need about the caller and report to the police and FTC. Create awareness of the incident as well to your friends, family, and acquaintances. Ask them to spread the news so that others would be informed and be cautious as well.

Scam Watch Together

There are lots of people and agencies who are taking measures to create awareness about telemarketing scams happening around America, and even around the world. Telemarketing frauds and scams cause too many financial troubles and leave helpless victims paralyzed financially and emotionally. There is great concern for these victims. One way of helping is to promote social awareness that such frauds and schemes really do exist.

To get help if you are a victim of these telemarketing scams, or if you want to become aware of how to protect your self, or if you are a concerned citizen who wants to give your part, VerifyPhone.com is an ally. It provides phone numbers of agencies and people who are more than willing to help you get informed and become protected by these contagious frauds. Search for a number now, like the number of FTC, and get information on how you can effectively protect yourself from such crimes. Agencies can also help you to know where and how you can help in creating awareness of such crimes.

It also provides phone number reviews. If you got a scam call, let others know about this phone number being scam here. Everyone of us, as vulnerable victims, I guess, should do our part, no matter how small it may seem, to help put a stop to these crimes. Let not another American, or any person fall for such cheating. Let us all help one another to protect ourselves from these crimes. Let us all be part of this scam watch.

Calling Card Number Fraud

Another identified fraud that happens now a days through telemarketing is the calling card number fraud/theft. A caller identifies himself as a representative of the victim's phone number company and asks for the calling card number for verification purposes. The clueless victim then gives his calling card number without thinking that it would be used by another person for his or her personal calls now charged to the victim's calling card number.

Treat your calling card number the same way as your credit card number. Never give it to anyone. Telephone companies never ask for the calling card number because they already have it in their data. If you receive this type of call, ask questions and ask for a callback number. The caller would hang up in most cases.

Also, when you receive this kind of call, check out phone number owner, address, reviews and more info here. The site will provide for you necessary details that you need to report the call to agencies that can help you with these unsolicited phone calls. This way, the agency is also informed that such calls are circulating around and so they can make necessary efforts to help the citizens when they receive such calls.