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Telemarketing Fraud Prevention, Public Awareness, and Training Activities

NCJ Number
184927
Date Published
August 1998
Length
2 pages
Annotation
Congress has appropriated money to implement programs designed to prevent telemarketing fraud and to improve services for elderly telemarketing fraud victims; through these appropriated monies, the Federal Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) funded four innovative projects designed to prevent and intervene in telemarketing fraud schemes that target elderly citizens.
Abstract
Oregon's Elder Financial Exploitation Prevention Program has two primary phases. One phase provides training and information for bank personnel so that they can quickly spot potential fraud, address the issue, and alert law enforcement officers. The second phase creates services for elderly fraud victims. The National Hispanic Council on Aging's Telemarketing Fraud Project for Latino Elderly is designed to increase Latino elderly's awareness of telemarketing fraud through education and the coordination of prevention and intervention services. The National Sheriffs' Association is coordinating Operation Fraudstop with a variety of agencies that have expertise in fighting crimes against the elderly. This is a campaign to make it difficult for swindlers to succeed with their illegal activities via the telephone and to provide education and assistance to telemarketing fraud victims, especially seniors. The project will be pilot-tested on both coasts. The Baltimore County Department of Aging's (Maryland) telemarketing fraud prevention, public awareness, and training activities include the production and distribution of a booklet aimed at preventing telemarketing and telephone fraud. One section of the booklet deals with telemarketing fraud and the other with telephone fraud (theft of service).