Kokua Line
Kokua Line
My 74-year-old father has been receiving tons of junk mail, many of them sweepstakes-type material, mail order and requests for donations. We have written to mail preference, as instructed by the post office, but because he is on many lists, they keep coming. He has spent thousands of dollars trying to win money. We've tried to convince him they are trying to take his money, but he won't listen. Recently, he's been getting calls from Canada saying he has won but needs to send $25,000 in a cashier's check. They called in January, March, May and June. We have talked to a lawyer, but his suggestion about guardianship is not feasible. Are there any alternatives? Help authorities stop
telemarketing fraudUnfortunately, there's not an easy way to stop the scammers, simply because the elderly are such easy prey.
An elderly Aiea woman, for example, was told she won the Canadian lottery, but first had to send a cashier's check for $7,000. She sent it.
The first thing you can do regarding the calls from Canada is to call Project Phonebusters, set up by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, at 705-495-8501, said Anne Deschene, president of the Better Business Bureau of Hawaii.
Such scams -- telling "winners" to send money in order to claim a prize -- is "rampant right now and we're trying to help out by getting the authorities on it," she said.
You can check out prize companies with the BBB. Call 536-6956. "We do have an advisory line where people can check . . . for tips on prizes, contests and sweepstakes offers," Deschene said.
Check also with the state Office of Consumer Protection, which is conducting a survey to determine the extent of telemarketing fraud directed against the elderly. You can request information or get a survey form by calling 586-2636; faxing Consumer dial at 587-1234; or checking the Internet at www.hawaii.gov/dcca/ocp.
"You would think we would be deluged with complaints," said Executive Director Jo Ann Uchida. But her office received only about 100 telemarketing complaints last year, which she says is only the tip of the iceberg.
The survey is meant to "get a better idea of how (telemarketing) is impacting Hawaii residents, not only the people being taken, but also the people who are just tired of getting these solicitations on the telephone or through the mail."
In your father's case, "Even if we can't shut down an operation in Canada . . . we try to contact the victims here and educate -- share some information and try to give them a direct link to our office," she said.
Deschene also said consumers should call the BBB not only to request information but to report problems because doing so "gives others a heads up."
Meanwhile, she passed on some tips for spotting possible scams. For example, if you really won a prize, you would not get word via bulk mail postage. Notification would be through registered, certified or first class mail.
Also, to get your name off mailing lists, write to: Mail Preference Service, Direct Marketing Association, P.O. Box 9008, Farmingdale, NY 11735-9008. To get your name off telemarketing lists, write to Telephone Preference Service, Direct Marketing Association, P.O. Box 9018, Farmingdale, NY 11735-9014.
The DMA updates its lists four times a year. Deschene cautioned that only companies that subscribe to the two services are affected.
The other thing to do is to tell telemarketers not to call. The Federal Trade Commission says it is illegal for a company to call if you have asked it to stop.
To Henry Keawe-Costa, who found my coin purse in the parking lot of Zippy's and returned it with all cash and credit cards intact. Mahalo
-- Janet
Need help with problems? Call Kokua Line at 525-8686,
fax 525-6711, or write to P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu 96802.
Email to kokualine@starbulletin.com
