Top Telemarketing Scams of 2004

Category

% of All Complaints

Average Loss

Prizes/Sweepstakes

31 %

$3,135

Requests for payment to claim prizes that never materialize

Credit Card Offers  

15%

$256

False promises of credit cards,for a fee, even if credit is bad

Scholarships/Educational Grants

7%

$504

False promises to help get
scholarships or government educational grants, for a fee

Advance Fee Loans

7%

$1,721

False promises of loans, even if credit is bad, for an upfront fee

Magazine Sales

6%

$130

Misrepresenting cost of subscriptions or pretending to be publisher offering renewals

Lotteries/Lottery Clubs

5%

$5,194

Requesting payment to claim lottery winnings or for help in winning; often foreign lotteries

Work-at-Home Plans

4%

$1,085

Materials sold on false promises of big profits from working at home

Buyers Clubs

3%

$217

Charges for memberships in discount buying clubs consumers never agreed to join

Travel/Vacations

2%

$1,268

Misrepresented offers of free trips or discount travel

Phishing

1%

$399

Calls pretending to be from well-known sources asking to confirm personal information