SENIORS WARNED ABOUT FRAUDULENT PHONE SOLICITORS; MOORPARK CENTER MISREPRESENTED.Byline: Douglas Clark
Douglas Clark (born 1942) is an English poet. Clark was born in Darlington, County Durham, England, to Scottish parents in 1942. Daily News Staff Writer Callers falsely claiming to represent the Moorpark Senior Citizens Center are targeting local senior citizens in a telemarketing telemarketing, the practice of selling goods or services to customers by means of the telephone or of surveying consumer preferences in telephone conversations. scheme to sell estate planning Estate Planning The overall planning of a person's wealth, including the preparation of a will and the planning of taxes after the individual's death. Notes: Contrary to popular belief, estate planning involves much more than preparing a will, and it is not only for the services, officials said Monday. The Ventura County Sheriff's Department The Ventura County Sheriff's Department (VCSD) provides law enforcement for the unincorporated areas of Ventura County, California, USA, as well as several cities within the county. The cities that VCSD serves are Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Ojai, and Thousand Oaks. issued warnings to residents, advising them not to give out financial or personal information to strangers over the phone. ``They were not asking for cash,'' Senior Deputy Kory Martinelli said of the phone solicitors. ``They were asking for addresses and personal information about bank accounts. I wouldn't classify this as a rash of calls, but we're being sensitive to it. We want everyone to know to be careful.'' Police said they became suspicious because the senior center never gives out names or phone numbers, nor does it promote service companies. Martinelli said seniors often are targeted by callers who ask for credit card numbers, financial accounts and Social Security information. They use the confidential data to withdraw funds or establish credit using the name of a senior. ``They're obviously taking advantage of the current times of shopping over the phone. If they can convince somebody they're a legitimate vendor, they're probably going to be in business,'' he said. Mary Lindley, Moorpark's director of community services, said she alerted police last week after receiving an inquiry from the Senior Citizens Center, where about five members had inquired about calls they received from solicitors. ``Whether it was a one-time deal and the people moved on, I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. ,'' she said. ``But if this thing was going to escalate, or be a problem, at least we started the legwork leg·work n. Informal Work, such as collecting information or doing research in preparation for a project, that involves much walking or traveling about. .'' Martinelli said that if people have any doubt about a caller's motives, they should simply hang up. ``For some reason, people don't want to be rude and just hang up the phone. And telemarketers can be very convincing on the phone. They keep you dangling until the punch line punch line n. The climactic phrase or statement of a joke, producing a sudden humorous effect. punch line Noun the last line of a joke or funny story that gives it its point Noun 1. ,'' he said. ``You'd like to say just don't talk to anybody, but you can't do that.'' |
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