These people have called several times a week for weeks now. They claim to be updating information for the online Yellow Pages but they end their questioning with details about how we are now going to receive some sort of service free for 90 days and then there will be a charge of $3??.00.
I've asked them to stop calling every time they call.
news item on right hand side of screen on 800notes under Latest News:
FTC Sues to Halt "Yellow Pages" Business Directory Scams
4 Jun 2009
The Federal Trade Commission has filed suit to halt the illegal operations of several telemarketing boiler rooms in Montreal, Canada. The agency alleged that the telemarketers bilked thousands of small- and medium-sized U.S. businesses and non-profits, including churches, schools, and charities, out of millions of dollars by deceiving them into paying for listings they never ordered in worthless business directories.
The FTC lawsuits, filed in federal court in Illinois, are part of a joint initiative with Canadian law enforcement authorities called 'Operation Mirage' that is aimed at cracking down on business directory scams. The FTC charged that the three telemarketing operations targeted businesses and other organizations with schemes to mislead them into paying hundreds of dollars each for unwanted business directory listings. The court has issued temporary restraining orders in the three cases.
In their phone calls to businesses and non-profits, the telemarketers often have posed as well-known local 'yellow pages' directories, and have told employees who answer the phone that they are calling to verify addresses and telephone numbers, the FTC's complaints stated. The telemarketers then used the 'verifications' as the basis to claim that these organizations agreed to listings that often cost $400 or more.
The FTC alleged that the companies then sent their victims invoices that again often imply that they are well-known yellow-pages companies. Many businesses and organizations simply paid these invoices. Those that did not were harassed with threatening phone calls and letters. To hide their location, the companies have used mailing addresses around the United States, in Miami; Phoenix; Plattsburgh, New York; Port Barre, Louisiana; Russell, Illinois; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Jersey City, New Jersey, the FTC alleged.
The complaints were filed against Reed Publishing, National Yellow Pages Online LLC, Integration Media Inc., doing business as GoAm Media, and others as well as their operators.
The Commission is seeking permanent injunctions that would force the defendants to give up their ill-gotten gains so that those funds can be used for consumer redress.
On a side note, last year GoAm Media wrote to us and threatened to sue 800Notes.com for the posts published at 866-697-0539 & 888-401-3843 stating that "...the statements made in the Blog asserting that the GOAM MEDIA is a 'scam' constitute defamation against the Company.GOAM MEDIA is legitimately formed and engaged in the lawful business of selling advertisements in business directories and is in good standing with all authorities."
I just had them call. They claimed I have a business listing. I don't. Also said they weren't trying to sell me anything. I hung up and the blighters called back two more times.
Lady called who was very hard to understand. She said she was from the yellow pages and wanted to update our account. I kept asking who she was with and she said "Yellow Pages". She asked our phone number (which she had just called) and also our address. I felt it was a scam and told her we did not want to advertise and hung up. I typed in 718-305-4532 into Google and came to this site where I saw others were having the same issue.