St. Louis County Police suggest you use the following guide and your common sense to assist you in making your decision. Highly trained and experienced communications personnel at the other end of the line will ask questions and help decide the right thing to do.

For emergencies

& crimes in progress

call  911

For non-emergency situations 314-889-2341

_____________________________________

Try to remember:      what the suspect looked like (height, weight, hair color, eye color, scars, tattoos, etc.), what the suspects were wearing (describe clothing from top to bottom), the suspect’s direction of travel (north, south, down the alley, or which road), vehicle description (color, make, model, plate number and state if possible).

Meet Sparky

the Fire Prevention Mascot

and take the

  Studies have shown that senior citizens are more at risk to be targeted by telemarketing scams than other age groups, and fraudulent telemarketers direct anywhere from 56 to 80 percent of their calls at older Americans. These con artists believe that senior citizens are vulnerable and more susceptible to their tricks.  However, NCPC is helping many seniors to be shrewd and savvy citizens by keeping these tips in mind:

• Offers too good to be true usually are. Ask to receive the “unbelievable deal” or the “amazing prize offer” in writing so you can read it carefully before making a commitment.
• Never give out your personal information over the phone or Internet unless you have initiated the contact. Legitimate business callers will never ask you for this information over the phone.
• If a caller asks you to pay for an offer in advance or asks for your credit card number or Social Security number, tell the person you don’t give out personal information over the telephone.
• Remember that legitimate telemarketers won’t be turned off if you use these techniques. They will appreciate dealing with an educated consumer. It’s not rude – it’s shrewd!

NCPC has released a new public service advertising campaign for radio and television nationwide in order to reach senior citizen audiences.The PSA features McGruff the Crime Dog teaching senior citizens how to protect themselves against telemarketing fraud. It will help senior citizens learn valuable tips for dealing with telemarketers, and provide a behind-the-scenes look at how scammers work to take advantage of the elderly.

Watch the video (60 seconds). This video requires the latest version of Quicktime.

Seniors and Telemarketing Fraud 101

As another part of this initiative, NCPC has published Seniors and Telemarketing Fraud 101 to supplement the PSA. This booklet helps reinforce the message of the PSA, and helps senior citizens sort through telemarketing offers so they can tell the difference between those which are legitimate and those which are not. You can order this publication from the McGruff Store or download it for free. You can also order a copy of this free brochure by calling 1-800-WE-PREVENT.

More Resources

Watch the PSA! (This video requires the latest version of Quicktime)