“You get a call from someone claiming that you’ve won a brand new automobile. Then they ask you to buy $500 worth of health supplements from their company and charge it to your credit card,” Wornick says. “When you say no, they make you feel guilty for not returning their favor, so eventually you give in and give them your credit card number. Of course, weeks pass and you never receive the car, but your next credit card bill has a $500 charge on it. You’ve been scammed.”
The reluctance of victims to acknowledge that they have been scammed makes the crime even more damaging, Wornick says.
“In many cases, it’s a three-part scam,” she says. “First, you’ve been scammed and you realize it. Secondly, you’re so embarrassed, you don’t tell anyone about it and you never report it. Thirdly, weeks later, you get another call from someone claiming to be from the government who tells you they’ve found the culprit through a sting, and your name was included among those victimized. For a small fee (usually about $50) charged to your credit card, of course, you can get your money back. If you agree to this, you’ve been scammed again.”
Wornick says inclusion on “Do Not Call Lists” does not guarantee safety from predators.
“The federal and state governments keep registries that valid and legitimate telemarketers heed,” she says. “However, scam artists don’t care if you’re on a list. They will call you anyway.”
New avenues for scams
Scam artists do not limit their activities to telephones, Wornick says. While faxes are used only rarely today in scams, the Internet and e-mail are popular conduits of fraud. Scam artists especially target users new to the Internet, who are generally less cognizant of predatory practices online.
Because of government laxity, Wornick says Internet fraud is potentially “incredible.”
“No law enforcement agency in the United States today cracks down on Internet fraud,” she says. “There is no policing of these frauds.”
Wornick offered many suggestions for combating fraud, but the most cogent was to deal only with local and well-known entities.
“Do business with local banks, credit unions, and trust companies chartered in Massachusetts,” she says. “These institutions must abide by Massachusetts laws, which are more consumer-friendly than federal laws.”
Expert on consumer fraud
A Natick native and graduate of Emerson College in Boston, Wornick has worked as a professional journalist in the Boston media market for nearly 30 years. Originally a radio journalist, she has anchored WCVB’s midday newscast for more than 18 years and is a member of the station’s investigative unit, Team Five Investigates. She has spent a healthy portion of her professional career exploring and exposing instances of consumer fraud.
Wornick’s presentation at Linden Ponds drew rave reviews.
“I loved it,” says Dorothy Ramsay. “She was very funny and knowledgeable. I was very impressed by what she said. I learned I can just hang up when a telemarketer calls, and I don’t have to feel guilty about it.”
“It was very informative and kept everyone interested,” says fellow community member Louise Stitt. “I learned to never listen to just anyone on the phone.”
Wornick even devoted a few minutes to exposing the flaws of legitimate telemarketers.
When the police or fire department calls …
“If someone calls you and tells you they’re soliciting money for your local police or fire department, hang up,” she says. “These are professional fundraisers, and they give only pennies on every dollar to the causes for which they solicit. By all means, give to police and fire departments, but make out a check and deliver it to them in person. In this way, all your money goes to the right cause.”
And that’s advice even mom would appreciate.
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