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See some old-school retro gaming commercials (because there’s no school like the old-school)

Most people don’t realize the restrictions placed on telemarketers and how they can benefit from the fact that many telemarketers don’t follow the rules. Instead of just hanging up or being nice and requesting that your name and number be removed from their call list, you can bring suit against them in small claims court and often win a small sum payout.

When André-Tascha Lammé was granted a judgment of $3,500 last month in a Sacramento, Calif., small claims court, he heard gasps.

“You could hear people in the courtroom saying, ‘You can sue telemarketers?’” he said. You can. In fact, you can make some decent cash for your trouble.

Lammé started getting pelted with calls from mortgage brokers last year, just as his adjustable rate mortgage was about to reset. Like many consumers, he quickly reached the boiling point over the frequent interruptions. But unlike many consumers, the computer programmer took the time to educate himself - perhaps owing to the spirit of his grandmother, a lawyer for several decades - and quickly discovered the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.

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Reuters has this tale of a criminal who didn’t practice due diligence in choosing a target or escape plan.

A would-be thief proved himself lacking in key skills like reconnaissance and driving after he tried to pull a heist beside a police-dog training site and then got stuck in the snow trying to flee.

Police in Edmonton, Alberta, said officers were training with a dog at a business late Tuesday when they heard an alarm sound from the building next door.

Yeah, that was bright.

Technorati Tags: Stupid criminal news, Choosing a better target