Take Charge! - Smart Choices for Your Cox Digital Home

Telephone Safety Tips

When the telephone rings, Cox and NCOA want to make it easy for you to identify a scam.

1. Take note of the time of the call. According to federal telemarketing guidelines, organizations cannot call before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. Simply hang up the telephone if a solicitor calls you during off hours.

2. Write down the name of the organization. The caller should immediately name the organization and/or fundraising firm that he/she represents. If interested in the cause, take a moment to write down the name, address and phone number of the caller and his/her organization of record. Simply hang up the telephone if the caller does not easily provide this information.

3. Identify the offer. Be sure to understand the product or service being offered and write down the associated cost. Ask if sales are final or nonrefundable. Hang up the telephone if immediate payment is required of if there is no money-back guarantee.

4. Ask questions. What is the purpose of the organization? Ask the caller to mail more details of the product, service or charitable organization donation. This will give you more time review the offer carefully. Simply hang up the telephone if the caller will not accommodate your requests or pressures you to act now.

5. Never pay cash over the telephone. A legitimate organization will not accept cash payments over the telephone. Simply hang up the telephone if the caller asks for a cash payment.