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Connecticut Telemarketing Fraud Laws

Telemarketing fraud occurs when an offender calls a victim and makes a false statement with the intent to improperly gain money or personal information. There are many different types of telemarketing fraud. Sometimes the offender claims that the victim won a foreign lottery, or represents that he is calling from the victim's bank.

Connecticut's telemarketing fraud laws are applicable to any transaction that takes place between a telemarketer and a consumer if either the telemarketer or the consumer is domiciled in Connecticut.

Contract Requirements

Under Connecticut's telemarketing fraud laws, an oral agreement made with a telemarketer over the phone isn't enforceable until the telemarketer receives a written and signed contract from the consumer. The contract must include at least the following information in order to be valid:

  • Disclose in full the terms of the sale, lease, or rental agreement
  • The name, address, and telephone number of the telemarketer
  • A list of all prices or fees being charged (including handling, shipping, delivery or other charges)
  • The date of the transaction
  • A detailed description of the goods or services being sold, leased, or rented, and
  • The following statement must be printed in bold immediately above the consumer's signature: "YOU ARE NOT OBLIGATED TO PAY ANY MONEY UNLESS YOU SIGN THIS CONTRACT AND RETURN IT TO THE ADDRESS CONTAINED IN THIS CONTRACT."

The following chart highlights some of the laws that are in place to deter telemarketing fraud in Connecticut.

Code Section

Connecticut General Statutes section 42-286: Actions that are Prohibited Before Receiving a Signed Contract

What's Prohibited?

It is illegal for a telemarketer to accept payment from a consumer until the consumer has signed a written contract.

Definition of "Telemarketer"

Any person who initiates the sale, lease, or rental of consumer goods or services via the telephone, or via an advertisement on the television, radio, or in print that requests consumers to contact the seller by phone (and the add doesn't contain the price or descriptions of the goods or services).

What If a Telemarketer Violates this law?

Any goods or services provided to a consumer before receiving a signed contract will be considered an unconditional gift to the consumer, and the telemarketer will be required to refund the consumer's payment.

Federal Telemarketing Fraud Laws

Additional Resources

State law change frequently. For case specific information regarding Connecticut's telemarketing fraud laws contact a local consumer protection lawyer or a criminal defense attorney.

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