Telemarketing fraud preys particularly on the elderly and lonely who may be more suseptible to high-pressure sales pitches or "opportunties of a lifetime." These fraudulent telemarketers frequently use prize offers, travel packages, health products/vitamins, charities, or investments to entice you into purchasing something and providing personal information over the telephone.

Make sure you know the specifics of the Federal Trade Commission's Telemarketing Sales Rule, which sets guidelines and prohibits certain types of representations by telemarketers. If you have not already done so, you may sign up for the National Do Not Call Registry.