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Author Biography: Raised in the congenial conformity of post war England, John McHardy came to the US confident that integrity and a Cambridge degree were all he needed to succeed. The path to enlightenment was long and arduous but it made him realize that lofty ideals and higher education are just no match for low cunning.
| Chapter 1 | The Fraud Epidemic | |
| The Swindler | 17 | |
| The Victim | 18 | |
| The Contact | 19 | |
| Telephone | 19 | |
| Computer Networks | 19 | |
| 20 | ||
| Advertisements | 20 | |
| TV Infomercials | 21 | |
| Referrals | 21 | |
| The "Respectable" Business | 22 | |
| The Pitch | 22 | |
| Large Profits | 22 | |
| Low Risk | 23 | |
| Urgency | 23 | |
| Confidence | 23 | |
| About This Book | 24 | |
| Purpose | 24 | |
| Organization | 24 | |
| Chapter 2 | Identity Theft | |
| The Law | 27 | |
| The Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) and the Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFTA) | 27 | |
| FTC Telemarketing Sales Rules | 28 | |
| Card Theft | 29 | |
| Limiting Your Financial Loss | 29 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 30 | |
| Mail Theft | 30 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 31 | |
| Automatic Debit | 32 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 32 | |
| Electronic Banking | 33 | |
| Electronic Fund Transfers | 34 | |
| Your Rights and Responsibilities | 35 | |
| Errors | 37 | |
| Lost or Stolen EFT Cards | 38 | |
| Limited Stop-Payment Privileges | 39 | |
| Other Rights | 39 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 40 | |
| Chapter 3 | Contests | |
| The Law | 41 | |
| Prize Offers | 41 | |
| The Promise | 42 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 42 | |
| Scholarships | 43 | |
| The Promise | 43 | |
| Warning Signs | 44 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 45 | |
| Green Card Offers | 45 | |
| The Promise | 46 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 46 | |
| Chapter 4 | Employment | |
| Federal Jobs | 48 | |
| The Promise | 48 | |
| Warning Signs | 49 | |
| Job Assistance | 49 | |
| The Promise | 50 | |
| Types of Employment Service Firms | 50 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 53 | |
| Modeling Offers | 54 | |
| The Promise | 54 | |
| Warning Signs | 55 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 57 | |
| Work at Home | 58 | |
| The Promise | 59 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 60 | |
| Coupons | 61 | |
| The Promise | 61 | |
| Warning Signs | 63 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 63 | |
| Chapter 5 | Business Opportunities | |
| The Law | 65 | |
| FTC Franchise Rule | 65 | |
| Internet-Based Business Opportunities | 66 | |
| The Promise | 67 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 68 | |
| Display Racks And Vending Machines | 69 | |
| The Promise | 70 | |
| The Reality | 71 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 72 | |
| Pyramid Schemes | 73 | |
| Pyramids vs. Multi-Level Marketing Plans | 74 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 74 | |
| Inventions | 75 | |
| Warning Signs | 76 | |
| Recognizing Legitimate Firms | 77 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 79 | |
| Further Information | 80 | |
| Chapter 6 | Credit | |
| The Law | 82 | |
| The Fair Credit Reporting Act | 82 | |
| The Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) | 84 | |
| The Credit Repair Organizations Act | 85 | |
| Credit Cards | 86 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 86 | |
| Protecting Your Cards | 87 | |
| Buying a Registration Service | 88 | |
| Secured Credit Cards | 89 | |
| Secured vs. Unsecured Cards | 89 | |
| The Promise | 90 | |
| Warning Signs | 90 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 91 | |
| Advance-Fee Loans | 91 | |
| The Promise | 91 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 92 | |
| Low-Cost Help for Credit Problems | 93 | |
| Credit Repair | 94 | |
| The Promise | 94 | |
| Warning Signs | 94 | |
| File Segregation | 95 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 97 | |
| Debt Relief | 98 | |
| Warning Signs | 98 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 99 | |
| Personal Bankruptcy | 99 | |
| Loan Transfers | 100 | |
| Chapter 7 | Merchandise | |
| The Law | 101 | |
| The FTC Credit Practices Rule | 101 | |
| The FTC Cooling-Off Rule | 104 | |
| Unordered Merchandise | 108 | |
| Frequently Asked Questions | 108 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 109 | |
| Warranties and Service Contracts | 111 | |
| Written Warranties | 111 | |
| Spoken Warranties | 112 | |
| Implied Warranties | 112 | |
| Service Contracts | 113 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 115 | |
| Resolving Warranty Disputes | 116 | |
| Home Water Treatment Units | 117 | |
| How do I know if I need a unit? | 117 | |
| What kind of units are available? | 118 | |
| What else should I consider? | 120 | |
| Warning Signs | 121 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 122 | |
| Kitchen Gadgets | 123 | |
| The Promise | 123 | |
| The Risk | 123 | |
| Native American Jewelry | 125 | |
| Authentication | 125 | |
| Terminology | 126 | |
| How to Buy | 128 | |
| Further Information | 128 | |
| Magazines | 129 | |
| Warning Signs | 129 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 130 | |
| How To Cancel | 132 | |
| Office Supplies | 133 | |
| The Credible-Invoice Scam | 134 | |
| The Order-by-Trick Scam | 135 | |
| The Wedge Scam | 136 | |
| After the Merchandise and the Invoice Arrive | 137 | |
| Protecting Your Organization | 138 | |
| Yellow Pages Invoices | 140 | |
| Warning Signs | 141 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 141 | |
| Chapter 8 | Automobile Repairs | |
| Be Prepared | 143 | |
| How to Choose a Repair Shop | 143 | |
| Recognizing Symptoms | 147 | |
| Trouble Shooting | 150 | |
| Automatic Transmission Repair | 151 | |
| Recognizing Symptoms | 152 | |
| Choosing a Repair Facility | 152 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 154 | |
| "Gas-Saving" Products | 155 | |
| The Promise | 155 | |
| The Reality | 156 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 159 | |
| Chapter 9 | Health and Recreation | |
| Fraudulent Health Claims | 160 | |
| The Promise | 160 | |
| Warning Signs | 162 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 163 | |
| Dietary Supplements | 164 | |
| Weight Loss Programs | 165 | |
| The Promise | 166 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 167 | |
| Health Spas | 168 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 169 | |
| Travel Offers | 170 | |
| The Promise | 170 | |
| Warning Signs | 171 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 172 | |
| Further Information | 173 | |
| Vacation Time Sharing | 174 | |
| Timeshare Resale Programs | 177 | |
| The Promise | 177 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 178 | |
| Dance Lessons | 179 | |
| Sales Techniques | 179 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 180 | |
| Chapter 10 | Telemarketing | |
| The Law | 182 | |
| The FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule | 183 | |
| Exceptions to the Rule | 184 | |
| Typical Scams | 185 | |
| The Promise | 185 | |
| Warning Signs | 186 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 187 | |
| Reloading | 188 | |
| The Promise | 188 | |
| Sucker Lists | 189 | |
| The Double Scam | 189 | |
| Recovery | 190 | |
| The Promise | 190 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 191 | |
| Chapter 11 | Communications | |
| The Law | 192 | |
| The FTC 900 Number Rule | 192 | |
| Mail or Telephone Order Rule | 196 | |
| 900 Numbers | 197 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 197 | |
| Cross Border Scams | 198 | |
| The Promise | 199 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 200 | |
| Mail Fraud | 202 | |
| The Promise | 202 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 204 | |
| Online Fraud | 205 | |
| The Promise | 205 | |
| Warning Signs | 207 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 207 | |
| Chapter 12 | Investment and Charity | |
| Features of Investment Fraud | 211 | |
| The Promise | 211 | |
| Warning Signs | 213 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 215 | |
| Online Investments | 217 | |
| The Promise | 217 | |
| Warning Signs | 217 | |
| Rare Coins | 218 | |
| The Promise | 219 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 221 | |
| Art Fraud | 222 | |
| The Promise | 223 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 223 | |
| Precious Metals | 225 | |
| The Promise | 226 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 227 | |
| Telecommunications | 228 | |
| FCC License Auctions | 228 | |
| License Application Services | 229 | |
| Partnerships | 230 | |
| Warning Signs | 231 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 232 | |
| Charity | 233 | |
| Public Safety Fund-Raising Appeals | 234 | |
| Protecting Yourself | 235 | |
| Chapter 13 | Resources | |
| The FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection | 239 | |
| Division of Advertising Practices | 239 | |
| Division of Credit Practices | 240 | |
| Division of Enforcement | 241 | |
| Division of Marketing Practices | 242 | |
| Division of Service Industry Practices | 243 | |
| Contacting the FTC | 243 | |
| The National Fraud Information Center (NFIC) | 244 | |
| Charter | 244 | |
| Contacting the NFIC | 245 | |
| Privacy | 245 | |
| The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) | 246 | |
| Charter | 246 | |
| Contacting AARP | 246 | |
| Call For Action, Inc. (CFA) | 247 | |
| Charter | 247 | |
| Contacting CFA | 247 | |
| Your State Attorney General | 249 | |
| Other Agencies and Organizations | 256 | |
| Credit and ATM Card Problems | 256 | |
| National Credit Bureaus | 257 | |
| Employment and Investment Problems | 258 | |
| Business Organizations | 259 | |
| Chapter 14 | The Telemarketing Sales Rule | |
| Part 310 | Telemarketing Sales Rule | 261 |
| 310.1 | Scope of regulations in this part | 261 |
| 310.2 | Definitions | 261 |
| 310.3 | Deceptive telemarketing acts or practices | 264 |
| 310.4 | Abusive telemarketing acts or practices | 267 |
| 310.5 | Record keeping requirements | 269 |
| 310.6 | Exemptions | 270 |
| 310.7 | Actions by States and private persons | 272 |
| 310.8 | Severability | 272 |
| Footnotes | 273 |
Overview
Author Biography: Raised in the congenial conformity of post war England, John McHardy came to the US confident that integrity and a Cambridge degree were all he needed to succeed. The path to ...