Fraud Prevention Month Case #1: Eighty-four year old Dorothy thought that Steven looked like such a nice young man. Very polite. Smartly dressed. Working his way through college. Standing there on her front doorstep, Steven explained that his company could offer her a great deal on a brand new vacuum cleaner and all she had to do was allow him to demonstrate the machine and Dorothy would receive a voucher for a free trip to Mexico. How could she say no to a free trip?

Dorothy allowed him into her home and the 30 minute demonstration turned into three hours. He talked so fast and made everything sound so good. She told him she needed to think about it but he said that she had to make a decision right away as it was a time-limited offer. Dorothy ended up buying a brand new vacuum cleaner from him for $3,000 and he took her used vacuum cleaner as a trade-in, knocking $500 off the purchase price. Because her hand shakes quite a bit, he wrote out the cheque for her and Dorothy signed it.  The cheque was cashed right away.

Dorothy later learned that the vacuum cleaner was three years old and that the travel voucher was worthless.  When she tried to return the vacuum cleaner, the address given to her did not exist, and the phone number was false.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

In this case, Dorothy contacted both Consumer Protection BC and the police. She learned that Steven had perpetrated the same scam on 25 other seniors. Fraud charges were brought against Steven.  Each year, Consumer Protection BC and the police deal with consumers who have been conned by scam artists. Do not allow yourself to be pressured into buying and be sure to comparison shop.

TIPS: Before you part with your hard-earned money, check out the company to see if it is legitimate and whether there have been any consumer complaints against it.  Consumer Protection BC and the Better Business Bureau are great places to start. Be careful not to let the promise of a free gift influence your decision.  Read any contract carefully before signing and ensure that you are given a copy of it.  It’s a good idea to pay using a major credit card. Never pay using cash.

March is Fraud Prevention Month - know your rights! If you have questions about your rights and responsibilities as a consumer in British Columbia, please contact Consumer Protection BC toll free at 1-888-564-9963, or visit or corporate website at www.consumerprotectionbc.ca. You can also follow Consumer Protection BC on Twitter @ConsumerProBC, like us on Facebook and read our blog for valuable consumer tips. The “What Would You Do?” columns are presented by Consumer Protection BC to raise consumer awareness during Fraud Prevention Month.

Visit Consumer Protection BC at the 2011 Senior's Expo on March 15th at Pearkes Recreation Centre in Victoria.

Take the Competition Bureau's Fraud Quiz.

Links to all Fraud Prevention Month "Cases":
The Case of the Sweet Talking Swindler
The Case of the Greedy Grandson
The Case of the Loan Shark Lender
The Case of the Fraudulent Furnace Installer
The Case of the Desperate Debtor