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Show ii 4A Emery County Progress ii iqj awywi Tvr- - y-.- r.; y-- Tuesday, November 23, 1993 PERSPECTIVE Just say no to fraud Fraud occurs when phone sales agents misrepresent the product, fail to deliver it, or make unauthorized use of a customers credit cards or bank accounts. Something for nothing This is becoming a world where Despite growing efforts to police the industry, at to a for and chance free many people jump get anything telemarketing has continued to have a persistent, seamy with so many takers, there is always an opening for fraud. underside. Joseph Merman had an alluring sales pitch. He told Regulators in 13 states have sued at least 27 900-phothousands of Americans they might have money coming to companies for deceptive telemarketing practices or st in left long-lorelatives New York. fraud since 1 990 for billing people to hear sales pitches for them, money by Thousands called Mermans 900 telephone numberfor everything from trips to Disney World to grocery coupons. details on how to claim their windfalls. The callers got little, Phone con artists in south Florida have gone so far as bill to call a for the Merman but in. cashed except impersonate the Better Business Bureau. In August 1 989, telemarketer Leonard Friedman set up in The Lauderhill residents firm took as much as $100,000 in two months from people who fell for the a company called the American Bank Services in Phoenix, Ariz. The idea was to talk people into paying $98 for a list telemarketing deal. of banks that offered a Florida based newspaper, conThe charge cards. He was able to buy a phone list of 5,000 people for 20 ducted a yearlong investigation and tracked thousands of cents who each. Sales agents were hired from newspaper hucksters from phone peddle bogus products phony to unfulfilled Florida vacations. Many of classifieds to dial for dollars. He had a merchant agree to overseas jobs fraud artists skip from scam to scam, or launder the profits for 20 percent of the gross. It was a these high-tec- h from state to state, just a few steps ahead of police or great idea but there were costs. Besides the huge amounts of money that was collected illegally, Friedman is now in regulators. This study discovered the prison and off the streets for awhile. owing findings: More than 6,500 troubles Once again, you are warned that if there is a claim to telemarketing companies have sprung up since 198b. The firms were spread receive something for nothing or something that shouldnt cost you anything by using other avenues, then stay away. over 45 states. Victims of telemarketing scams number at least 2.2 Get smart and get out while you still have money in your million people, from Wisconsin farmers who gave to a pocket or checkbook. It is not that the people are not warned about these phony fund to legalize cow growth hormones to Florida kinds of scams. It is because they just cant see how they retirees preyed on by Medicare hustlers. can lose until after the deal is over. Be smart and just say Losses come to at least $800 million. The bottom line: regulators thus far have failed to no. Youll be money ahead. prevent the public from being fleeced by phone bandits whose shady sales strategies have been apparent for By KEVIN ASHBY Progress publisher ! Recess was winding down on the playground at Central Elementary School. The mid-da- y sun was warm for November, but the snow in the mountains and the empty, dark trees told us that winter was at hand. Grey and black clouds were gathering in the west. As the bell sounded to recall us to our rooms, saw my friend Denton running down the sidewalk toward me. Since he lived near the school, he usually went home for lunch. His dark image was tiny when first saw him, but he quickly grew in size as he approached. All the while hecame toward me, he was yelling something about TV. He loved to watch TV, and he loved to summarize for his friends things that he had watched. When he reached me he was gasping badly. Denton wasnt a healthy child, so his words came with some difficulty. Kennedys been shot, he said through pulses of air. It was just on TV. They said he might be dead. My friends family was the epitome of the Republican Party. They had supported Richard Nixon, Eisenhower and other GOP candidates for generations. Even for a fifth grader, Denton had strong political opinions which must have been inherited from his father and grandfather. As such, thought he was playing a malicious joke on me. Youre lyin, said. Come on, were going to be ne I I Sun-Sentin- I I late for class. looked me straight in the eyes, said a few words that he would never say in front of his Republican parents, then added, No. Lets go back to my house, and Ill show you. Any doubts that had about the story he was telling me were dashed when he turned and started to walk briskly back up the sidewalk. He looked back over his shoulder and threw out a word, Cornin?. realized that something must be out of sync. Students in those days would not sluff school except underthe most pressing of circumstances. He told me about what he had heard as we walked toward his house two blocks from the school. Words like Dallas, convertible, Jackie, shots, and screams were spilled out in strained chords. When we gotto his house, he said something strange. Wed better not go in. We might get in trouble. He suggested that we stand outside a window of the family room where the TV was chattering away. And then it became official for me. heard the words, The President has been shot, and later, President Kennedy is dead. Standing there, worrying about not being in our inkwell desks at Central Elementary School, seemed so meaningless in light of the words without faces coming through the wall. Mixed with the words were the sobs of Dentons mother who sat alone watching the terrible news. When ourchildish curiosity had been fed, we walked back to school, slowly. By then the dark clouds had nearly covered the sky and only sporadic patches of blue could be found in a sea of gloom. wonder if I theyll let school out, said, wishing hadnt almost as the words came out. Denton shrugged, and for one of e the few times in my friendship with him, in saw fear his thought eyes. Thoughts of being late forclass were tied into a knot along with a man lying dead in Dallas as we walked into our classroom. By then the teacher had set up a and straight. television, and the kids sat wide-eye- d Mrs. us saw come in, looked briefly Ourteacher, Rice, in our direction and then turned back to the black and white of the airwaves. For days after that, life floated through our minds in slow motion. We were neverto be the same. Nothing would ever be the same. The following summer, Denton and I joined dozens of Boy Scouts from Southeastern Idaho on a tour of the East. Kennedys death had been softened by time, but on a muggy July day, it came back to us. The long, slow line at Arlington National Cemetery meandered past thousands of graves. But at one grave, each link in thechain stopped. There was no permanent marker, and the grave was covered by dark ferns. The anticlimax was the austerity of this great mans resting place. But through the ferns flickered the eternal flame- - a light which shines today and which will shine for all tomorrows. You could tie it all up, Kennedys death and this moment at the cemetery, and put it in a box. It was something to save, and something that lifted us to new, tragic heights as we left our youth behind. He I I I I I I life-tim- I fifth-gra- de low-inter- est el, years. Legitimate telemarketing people argue that they provide a vital service to customers who want to shop by phone and many take steps to ensure what customers know that they are buying. The industry stresses, also, that it employs 3.5 million Americans, injecting billions of dollars into the national economy. Christmas shopping? Forum June Maxwell Huntington Thanks coach the editor: First off, I would just like to congratulate coach Jones for his terrific coaching j ob that he did this year and also in the years past. I would also like to thank him for his patience he had with some of the football players this year. Second, I would like to congratulate the team on the great year they had. On the other hand, I would also like to say that I am very disappointed with a lot of the fans we had at Cedar City. We had a lot of fans. ' There were many fans that were cutting down coach Jones and who where cutting down the football players. I feel that it is awful that there are people who will only support our team when they win. We need to support our team- - win or lose. To fair-weath- er We should realize just how fortunate we are to have such a man to work with our kids. Thanks coach Jones for a job well done. You have our support and appreciation. You have been a great example and a positive influence in the lives our sons, and we are gratepi ful. Hope we have coach Jones around for many years. The D.G. Hess family Castle Dale You see, three years ago on a cold N ew Years Eve, we found our friend wandering, cold, hungry and lost on the road. We gave her a blanket, some food and a warm, loving home; something evidently no one else wanted to do. We have cared for her, sat for hours with her while she gave birth to two litters of puppies and made her part of our home. Now, I guess someone else felt they needed her more. I hope they have a king sized, heated waterbed for her to share; you see, she slept every night with my son in his. I also hope they keep her warm in their home, as she was never outside, except to do her business or to go with the family somewhere. She likes the ends of loaves of bread, too. We have put up fliers in all the stores and post offices. Put an ad on the community channel, on Barter Bar and notified the vets, animal control officers and even filed a stolen dog report with the police. No one has called us about her. So, who ever took our friend Lady, please be kind and bring her home. There will be no questions asked. We would love to offer a reward, but our financial circumstances dont allow us to do that. Please, at least let us know that she is safe and warm, and put our minds at ease about her. Lost dog Debbie Oviatt To the editor: Thanks Between the hours of 5 to 7 p.m. on the night ofNov. 7, our beloved dog. Lady, was stolen out of our home. My family and I had gone to do our grocery shopping. Having tucked Lady, our German Shorthair Pointer and our poodle, Buttons, safely, we thought, in our home. our return, we found was Lady gone. My children and I immediately searched the house. You see, she was pregnant and we assumed she was in her birthing room. But, we have yet to find her. Upon GIRL SCOUTS stores start their Christmas sales season too early? When do you start your Do you think To the editor: Yes! They start so early that the whole meaning of Christmas is gone, that dealing with the birth of the Christ child. don't shop for Christmas. I Lee Moss Orangeville Yes, because it takes the significance out of Thanksgiving. But it does serve as a reminder for me to get something for my wife for Christmas. Nancy Attwood Huntington Somewhat, yes. It is not start another holi- fair to day before Thanksgiving has even started. don't think holidays should overlap. shop for Christmas all through the year. I I Elmer Morris Ferron They sure do. Thanksgiving is not even here yet and they want to start Christmas. do my shopping the week before Christmas. let my wife start before then, though. I I Last week I wrote a letter to the Progress about my puppy, Camron Winn Ferron Nikki, who was missing. I would like to thank all those who read the letter. I would also like to thank those who informed me about puppies that looked like Nikki. I have found Nikki and she is home where she belongs. Again, I thank all ofy ou who helped us find her. Jennifer Hancock & Kind of. When they start before Halloween with Christmas, itgets old fast. You kind of want to get it over with and that's not right. start shopping the day after Thanksgiving. all I |