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Following a government decision, telephone canvassing must comply with certain regulations. However, It is still just as intrusive for people who receive many calls every day.
In addition, there is a problem. Indeed, there are many scammers. In some cases, they do not hesitate to pretend to be a canvasser when in reality, they want to scam you. It is not for nothing that many French people no longer answer the phone when they do not know the number. Fortunately, there are tips to spot these scams and avoid falling into their trap.
Cold calling and the law
Telephone scams continue to multiply and diversify. Some of the most common methods include online, door-to-door, drive-by and telephone scams.
Cold calling, in particular, is often perceived as annoying and intrusive, even as a form of harassment. In response to numerous consumer complaints, this practice is now regulated by law. Thus, the law imposes strict rules to protect citizens.
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However, it is not this regulation on telephone canvassing that is slowing down the scammers. The latter, already outside the law, continue to use this method to better scam you. So how do we know if a dishonest person is calling us?
Distinguishing a scam from a classic telephone canvassing
To counter abuse, the French government has set up specific calling times and lists to oppose telephone canvassing. However, Some scammers continue to use cold calling to deceive consumers. Fortunately, there are several tricks that allow us to know who we are facing.
First of all, be wary if the person on the other end of the line asks you personal questions. Indeed, A real canvasser will never ask for sensitive information like your bank details. If the person you are talking to asks you for your cryptogram or your bank card number, it is a scam.
In addition, as part of an official telephone canvassing, the interlocutor must ask your permission to present his service or product. If such a request is not made, you should be suspicious.
Avoiding Scams
To spot a scam, you can first look at the phone number. Scammers often use numbers which start with 08 99. They call and hang up quickly to encourage a call back. This generates costs for victims due to surcharges. As part of an official telephone canvassing, the canvasser will call you back.
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Cold calling: the radical solution to block all calls easily
When faced with a suspicious call, hang up immediately and block the number. This is a first barrier against fraudsters. Using your carrier’s free blocking services can also be effective.
Finally, if you don’t know how to react, don’t hesitate to use a false identity. Tell the person that they have just called the wrong number. Depending on the reaction, you can quickly tell if it is a cold call or not.
Indeed, a salesperson will apologize for the inconvenience. A scammer will insist that it is not a problem and that he can continue to talk to you anyway.
