National Telemarketing Victim Call Center

Who we are:  

The National Telemarketing Victim Call Center (NTVCC) has been in operation since 2006 and provides education and prevention services to consumers who have been victimized or are at risk of being victimized by Mass Marketing Frauds...from lottery and prize scams, to oil and gas investments.  Initially funded through a settlement agreement with the National Association of Attorney Generals, NTVCC is support by a grant from the FINRA Investor Education Foundation and the California Attorney General from the national mortgage settlement.

What we do:

The NTVCC has partnered with local, state and federal law enforcement and obtained names and telephone numbers of victims and/or potential victims ("leads") pursuant to search warrant raids.  We operate a Call Center or "Reverse Boiler Room" where volunteers gather to contact fraud victims and other people at risk.  The Fraud Fighter volunteers warn of high pressure telephone "pitches" promising low risk/high profit investment or prize opportunities in hopes of preventing further victimization.  They talk about current scams, offer tips on avoiding fraud, and provide referrals to local agencies. 

NTVCC works one-on-one with consumers in gathering information about the "promises" made, counseling about lulling techniques used by con artists to avoid detection by law enforcement, asking for refunds of fees, help in filing formal complaints and keeping those consumers informed about civil and criminal processes.  Our technique is not to just lecture the consumer, but to actually shop their complaints and walk them through the fraud to provide information regarding red flags.

Fraud:  the facts

According to Congress, Americans lose nearly $40 billion each year to fraudulent marketing.  Every day, con artists contact people by telephone, mail and over the internet with new scams.  The criminals pretend to offer jobs, credit cards, lottery tickets or can't miss investments.  They might ask you to make a donation, or pay taxes to claim a big prize. 

If you ever do business with a dishonest telemarketer, your name and phone number may get added to lists of interested buyers.  Criminals buy these lists from each other and often target these consumers with all kinds of fraudulent offers.

Fraud:  the costs

Fraud and scams take a heavy toll on consumers, especially older consumers.  Victims lose their financial security and their peace of mind.  Most older adults who suffer a large loss from fraud never recover the money.