Hi, everyone --

Just a quick heads-up: there's another directory scam currently making
the rounds.  In the last week I've had two calls from representatives of
the American Directory Listing Service.  In both cases the caller wanted
to "confirm" my library's "entry" in the directory so that she could
"close the file" on the "final version" of the 2004 edition, saying that
we had been listed "since 2002."  In both cases, when I told the caller
I was familiar with this type of scam, she hung up immediately.

As usual, these people are not calling the acquisitions or serials
department, where there is a good chance the scam will be recognized.
Instead they are calling other library departments, trying to get
student employees on the phone, or are calling after hours in the hope
that they'll get a random staff member who is unfamiliar with the scam
and can be manipulated into giving some form of oral consent.

I've sent out yet another note to the entire library staff here,
reminding them that if anyone calls to "confirm" our mailing address or
the information in our "directory entry," the call should be fowarded to
me.  I suggest you all do something similar -- it's much better to have
one contact person for these calls than to try to get everyone on the
library staff to stand strong against the bullying and manipulation to
which these companies often resort.

One more reminder: if you do end up getting a directory and/or an
invoice from one of these scam artists, remember your rights under Title
39, Section 3009 of the U.S. Code -- if you didn't order it, you
shouldn't pay for it.  And "confirming your entry" is not the same thing
as ordering a $500 directory, no matter what kind of artful wordplay the
caller employs.  The more we stand up to these guys, the sooner they'll
stop calling us.

----
Rick Anderson
Dir. of Resource Acquisition
University of Nevada, Reno Libraries
(775) 784-6500 x273
rickand@unr.edu