30 ~ Nortl: ore News — Sunday, September 10, 2000 Telephone scams hurt seniors BE careful about who you do business with over the telephone. Every year, thousands of Canadians ndled out of money by dishonest tele- marketers soliciting business by) phone. Telemarketing fraud is now estimated to be a S40-million business in Canada. In a wvpical telemat ting, scam, vou reecive a tele- phone call saving vou’ve won a free wip, a product, service or major prize. You are then asked to give a credi¢ card aumber or your chequing account number for verification and ID pur- poses. Later, the telemarketer may make unauthorized charges or withdrawals from your bank account, or you receive a credit card bill with a large charge from the tele- marketing company. Whar you don’r get is the merchandize you expected. Susan Brice, a director with the Better Business Bureau, says that if you've been a vienm of relemarker- ing fraud once, chere’s an overwhelming chance you'll be a victim again, “Don’t get conned by another telemar- keter claiming to be able ro get your money back,” said Brice. Fraudulent telemarketers are quick to close up shop and move to another province to avoid police. But legitimate businesses also use telemarketing to sell their products. So the best way for consumers to protect them- * _Stk@N0001 selves is to be able to identifi fraudulent telemarketers betore becoming, A telemal cromay be a con artist if BB they use high-pressure tac- Bi the offer sounds too good tu be true; M othe consumer must act “now” — or the offer will no longer be good: the telemarketer is unwill- ing to provide references or written marerial to back up his or her chims; B the telemarketer asks for a credit card oor checking account number tor any rea- son other than to niake 2 : (for example for tion purposes, to pay shipping and handling or redemption, filing, adminis- tre itive or processing fees or j ly “free” gitt or prize). Senior citizens are a favountte targer of fraudulent telemarketers. According to Phonebusters, a national cask force combating telemarket- ing fraud, people over the age of 60 represent 59% of those who have lost money and 85% of the victims who have lost over $5,000. Seniors are targeted for many reasons, They’re often susceptible to telephone fraud because of loneliness, lack of family support and for health rea- sons such as Alzheimer’s. Often unfailingly polite, they are less likely to hang up the telephone on someone who appears to be very friendly. Elderly people are “Voted The smartest car - The safest car ever built * 268 hp © 280 torque at 2100rpm Laminated side glass & air bag * Rear/side window curtains ¢ Security package Me as *64,395, Now 99,300 Cash Purchase ,epecial >more likely to be repeat Victims. In Canada during 1998, 73% of individuals victimized more than once by telemar- ing fraud were over the age of 60. B.C. consumers are tie- quenuy targeted by telemar- keters operating Quebee. Valerie Macl.can, general mana of the Vancour office of the Better Business Bureau, sav to keep in mind chat there aren't any legicimate compa- nies calling from Quebee who will you to. send money to “pay” for a prize. “There's never any cost invol with a real prize,” said MacLean. Remember if you've really “won” something, you don’t have to make a purchase, or pay a fee or pay for delivery. Learn to say no. Scams exist because cor- sumers support them. Beware of anyone offering cash oor oprizes in nge for buying goods, ne wips or sending money. Before making any commitments, ask co call the person back. Hang up and check with vour local Better Business Bureau, consumer services office, or — call Phonebusters at 1-888-495- 8501. Think twice before giving your credit card num- ber or chequing account number over the phone. Try asking the company to bill you so that you can send them your payment. Call the Better Business Bureau office at 682-2711. our oof Eugene Kaellis Contributing W EVERYONE now knows the aphorism that those who don’t learn ihe lessons of his- tory, must repeat them. carning, however, requires memory, and when it comes to Canada’s Nati witness the smouldering events at the Burnt Church Native lobster fishery), many adians, particularly politi- cians, are quite willing to for- get, not only treaties, but his- tory, As Michael Dyson points outin his book on Martin Luther King, historical memo- frequently distorted or on deseribes forms of historical forgetting. Reverential amnesia atten to expericace injustice vicari- ously. This form is common among allegedly spiritual peo- ple who say things such as, “I feel vour pain.” {ris well motivated and sounds com- passionate, but when unac- contpanied by remedial action, it is entirely subjective, making its practitioners feel good, but providing no posi- tive social consequences. Repentant amnesia is “for- giving by forgetting.” The past is forgotten in order to avoid the memory of an embarrassing or discomforting injury or injustice. It is often practised by “good people” who believe that simply the expression of goodwill can eliminate the effects of histori- cal injustices. “I was not responsible for the seizure of your lands and resources and your subjugation,” one of its several variants, is a common example. The fact is that, except for First Nations, all Canadians have benefitted materially from injustices to native people. Revisionist amnesia dilutes and trivielizes the historical experience of the victims of iis Natives ce. It downplays, makes invidious compansons to other historical injustices, or points out that the victims have dhenaselves practised injustice. Holocaust revision- ists, for example, claim the numbers killed are exaggerat- ed, or thar Israelis are cruel to Palestinians. Using the prac- tice of slavery by some West Coast Natives to justity the history of White conquest is common manifestation. OF course, it perpetuates presi injustices. Recalcitrant amnesia is a form of denial. It goes bevond onism by calling estab- history a hoax — there was no Holocaust, native peo- ples were not exploited, and expropriated. Resistant amnesia is prac- tised, not by the oppressors or those whom they benefit, but by the vicums in order to spare themselves the despair and rage that remembering can cause and, often, avoid shame, in which victims blame themselves for their historical misfortune: None of this is surprising. Convenient forgetting and highly selectiv ‘remembering is a common defense of offenders and a common fea- ture of all “official histories”. and political rhetoric. NEWS photo Julie iverson Mobiie JEN Smith, 15, and Ryan Hill, 15, recently travelled to Parksville and Tofino as part ofa wip with fynn Valley" Youth Outreach Workers. ° pagaees Soa, HOWL FR, SATURDAYS 9-5:< | “24 HR EMERGENCY. SERVICE: MARK 715-2625, Mike 728-2615 987 -2009_ “SENIORS DISCGUNT. 1170 West 14th St. North Van. - hL.- 1/2 block east of Pemberton. _ ae en en. ee ee |