Consumer News

It sounds too good to be true.

You must pay or you can't play. You've won something but need to send money to
    get it.

You must give the caller your private financial information.

The caller insists you send cash or a money order, not a cheque.

The caller is trying to get you excited about a great opportunity.

The person calling claims to be a tax official, banking officer or someone with the
   authority to ask personal questions.

The stranger calling behaves as if he or she is your buddy.

A warning that "You must act immediately or you'll miss out on this offer."

To recognize if a relative or friend is the target of fraudulent telemarketers, PhoneBusters advises watching for:

An increase in mail with too-good-to-be-true offers.

Frequent calls about valuable awards or from unfamiliar charities.

A sudden inability to pay regular bills, or requests for loans.

Banking records showing cheques or withdrawals to unfamiliar companies.

Secretive behaviour about phone calls.

Article by Nancy J. White - Catch the con: How to tell if you're a target - Toronto Star