Hanging Up on Phone Fraud

Here are some tips designed to protect against telemarketing fraud:

* Your best protection is to just hang up the phone. If you think that is rude, tell solicitors politely that you’re not interested, that you don’t want to waste their time and to please not call back--and then hang up.

* If you find yourself caught up in a sales pitch, remember the federal government’s Telemarketing Sales Rule. You have to be told the name of the company, the fact that it is a sales call and what’s being sold.

* If a prize is being offered, you have to be told immediately that there is no purchase necessary to win. If the caller says you’ve won a prize, you cannot be asked to pay anything for it. You can’t even be required to pay shipping charges.

* If it is a sweepstakes, the caller must tell you how to enter without making a purchase.

* You cannot be asked to pay in advance for services such as correcting your credit record, finding you a loan or acquiring a prize they say you’ve won. You pay for services only if they’re actually delivered.

* You shouldn’t be called before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. If you tell telemarketers not to call again, they can’t. If they do, they have broken the law. If you’re guaranteed a refund, the caller has to tell you all the limitations.

* Don’t give telemarketers your credit card number, bank account number or Social Security number, and don’t authorize bank drafts.

* If you suspect fraud, call the National Fraud Information Center at (800) 876-7060.

Source: The National Citizens’ Crime Prevention Campaign

Learning to Use TV Carts

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends that teachers follow these safety rules concerning TV or audiovisual carts:

* Do not allow children to walk in front of a loaded TV or audiovisual cart to pull or guide it.

* Do not let children move a TV or audiovisual cart; only adults should move them.

* Do not allow anyone to step or ride on a TV or audiovisual cart; this can cause it to overturn.

* Plan ahead when TV or other audiovisual equipment is needed so that it can be moved by an adult before and after class.

* Do not let children play near TV or audiovisual carts. A loaded cart can overturn and cause death or serious injury from quick stops and riding on the cart.

Source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission