SeniorTruth

Today’s NY Times gives front page coverage to businesses that team up to target and take advantage of vulnerable seniors. Past victims of lottery and other scams — and others thought to be susceptible — are highlighted in marketing databases, repeatedly sold to scammers for telemarketing and direct mail bilking of seniors.

See NY Times “Bilking Seniors” May 20, 2007 front page. Note: free registration required.

Avoid telemarketers by keeping them from calling. Sign up with the National Do Not Call Registry, run by the Federal Trade Commission. You can register cell phones and home phones (but not business lines) by calling toll free 888-382-1222 or going to the donotcall.gov website. Once you register, telemarketers have 31 days to stop calling. Your registration will last for five years. This is a free service.

We signed up for the Registry at home, and the junk calls have pretty much stopped.