If a Florida resident gets accused of telemarketing fraud, they face a severe accusation. Telemarketing fraud involves using the phone to deceive someone into believing they can gain something if they pay money. The criminal’s goal is to get the victim to provide sensitive information, such as their Social Security number or financial information.
Common telemarketing scams
A typical example of telephone fraud is when an individual gets a phone call from someone claiming to work for a computer company. They will say that there is a virus on the victim’s computer. Many people immediately realize that these types of phone calls are scams. However, older people and individuals who are not computer literate may not identify the scam as such. The thief can access their credit cards or bank account once the victim provides the criminal with their financial or personal information.
Another common scam is the lottery ticket scam. The victim will receive a phone call telling them they have won a lottery in a different country. When the person says they do not remember entering the lottery, the criminal informs them that someone else did this on their behalf. From there, the criminal collects personal and financial information from the victim, claiming to need this information to deposit the money in a foreign account.
A serious crime
Telemarketing fraud is a federal offense. The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) prosecutes these crimes. In many cases, the victim loses money because of the fraud. However, a victim doesn’t need to lose money for a criminal prosecution to occur. This fraud could be punished with serious fines and long-term prison sentences as a federal crime.
Being accused of telemarketing fraud is unnerving and scary, especially if the accused is innocent. In this circumstance, an individual must understand the laws surrounding the charge and the steps they can take to defend themselves.
