Telemarketing

Announcing a new mail campaign to thwart telemarketing fraud, President Clinton said Saturday that many older Americans face a greater threat from "a scam artist on the phone" than from a mugger on the street. In his weekly radio address, Clinton announced that every American household will soon receive a postcard with tips on avoiding telemarketing rip-offs. "This is the largest consumer protection mailing in our history," Clinton said.

The American Assn. of Retired Persons will hold a free training session at the Wilshire Boulevard Temple on Wednesday on combating telemarketing scams. "We're training volunteers how to recognize fraud," said Carmen Ulmer, a spokeswoman for the association. "In turn, they can educate other seniors. We're trying to expand our influence." Telemarketing fraud costs Americans up to $40 billion a year, Ulmer said, adding that the elderly are prime targets for the schemes.

Police are seeking victims of a giveaway scam in connection with the recent arrests of two Huntington Beach men who allegedly tricked elderly individuals nationwide into thinking they had won prize money. Roy J. Perry, 29, and Ryan A. Pirkle, 23, were arrested by Irvine police March 21 and charged with telemarketing fraud and conspiracy to commit grand theft.

An Irvine telemarketer has agreed to plead guilty Monday to allegations that he disobeyed a court order stemming from a prior telemarketing fraud case. Lonny Remmers signed an agreement Friday to plead guilty to violating a 1996 order by U.S. District Judge Linda H. McLaughlin and to accept a sentence of 41 to 51 months in prison.

The president of a Woodland Hills-based 900-number firm pleaded guilty Monday to charges that he defrauded investors out of approximately $3.5 million. Rory Cypers, 27, a veteran of unregulated telemarketing operations, pleaded guilty to one count each of mail fraud, wire fraud and criminal contempt, said Assistant U.S. Atty. Ellyn Lindsay. He is expected to be sentenced to five years in prison.

A West Hills businessman has been charged with illegally telemarketing computer printer toner, Los Angeles City Atty. Jim Hahn announced Friday. Doran Amir, 36, operator of Direct Imaging Systems in Chatsworth, is to appear in Los Angeles Municipal Court on Nov. 18, officials said. Amir could not be reached for comment Friday. Amir is charged in a criminal complaint with three counts each of operating as a telemarketer without proper registration and without maintaining a $100,000 bond.

Orange County Superior Court has approved a restitution plan to compensate victims of an Anaheim telemarketing company, prosecutors announced Monday. Superior Court Judge Robert Thomas approved a settlement between International Travel Bureau and the Orange County district attorney's office in which the company would pay $50,000 in restitution to the victims, many of whom are elderly out-of-state residents.

I feel it is significant to point out that many businesses are conducted over the phone and suffer from the negative impressions many people have received from telemarketing quacks ("How to Hang Up on Telephone Marketing Fraud," Personal Fiance, Dec. 9). For instance, in the last six months in my work as an executive recruiter in the high-technology field, I have had two very bright candidates turn down offers from outstanding companies from which they would definitely have already earned about $350,000 apiece.

A 32-year-old Huntington Beach man was arrested on suspicion of bilking senior citizens in a telemarketing scheme, authorities said Friday. Investigators received calls last week from several people who said they were told by a representative of U.S. Catalog Exchange in Irvine that they had won from $10,000 to $25,000, Police Sgt. Phil Povey said. To collect the money, the so-called winners were told they must pay a California processing fee, which ranged from $189 to $429, Povey said.