pub 300 a mail fraud
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legal docsTRANSCRIPT
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United StateS PoStal inSPection Service
WaShington dc 20260-2169addreSS Service reqUeSted
First-Class Mail Postage & Fees Paid
UsPs PerMit No. g-10
to learn more about mail fraud or to report suspected fraud, visit the U.s. Postal inspection Web site at postalinspectors.uspis.gov
United States Postal inspection Service
Publication 300-A, June 2010
PSN 7610-04-000-6949
U.S. Postal Inspection Service
Guide to Preventing Mail Fraud
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Contents 2 WhatIsMailFraud?
3 Sweepstakesand‘Free’Prizes
4 ‘Free’Vacations
5 GovernmentLook-AlikeMail
6 SolicitationsDisguisedasInvoices
7 ForeignLotteries
8 ChainLetters
9 CharityFraud
10 InsuranceFraud
11 MedicalFraud
12 InternetFraud
13 PhonyInheritanceSchemes
14 HomeImprovementandHomeRepairFraud
15 InvestmentFraud
16 FeesChargedforNormallyFreeServices
17 Advance-FeeLoans
18 CreditRepairandCreditCardSchemes
19 Work-at-HomeOffers
20 DistributorshipandFranchiseFraud
21 PhonyJobOpportunities
22 UnsolicitedMerchandise
23 ReshippingFraud
24 FakeCheckScams
25 HowtoContactthePostalInspectionService
Guide To Preventing Mail Fraud 1
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It’saschemetogetmoneyorsomething
ofvaluefromyoubyofferingaproduct,
service,orinvestmentopportunitythatdoesnotliveuptoitsclaims.
Prosecutorsmustprovetheclaimswereintentionallymisrepresented
andthatthemailwasusedtocarryoutthescheme.
Althoughmostmail-ordercompaniesarehonestandstand
behindtheirproductsandservices,unfortunatelythereareafewrotten
appleswhogivedirectmailadvertisersabadname.Theycheatpeople
bypeddlingworthlessproducts,medicalquackery,andget-rich-quick
schemes.Somefly-by-nightstakeyourmoneyandsendyounothing.
Unscrupulousbusinessesdon’tmindtakingadvantageofan
unwarycustomer.“Letthebuyerbeware”istheirmotto—andyou
mightbethebuyer.
Mailfraudstersfrequentlyrelyonthesameoldtricks.You
mayevenbefamiliarwithsomeofthem.Thefollowingpagesinclude
someofthemorecommonmailfraudschemesandrelatedconsumer
problems.Watchoutforthem!
What Is Mail Fraud?What Is Mail Fraud?
2 U.S. Postal Inspection Service
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Sweepstakes and ‘Free’ Prizes
Business Tip: Advertising specialty products
like pens, key tags, baseball caps, and ice
scrapers, to name a few, has helped many
companies gain recognition. However,
illegal “boiler room” operations also use
these products to ensnare owners and
employees of small companies in a fraud
scheme.
The scheme begins with a notification
that you’ve won a big prize in a
sweepstakes promotion. But there’s a
catch — you are told that you must
purchase a certain quantity of items with
your company name and logo to avoid a
“gift tax.” The purchase, which can amount
to several thousand dollars, may result in
inferior merchandise or nothing at all.
Ithappenseveryday.
Thousandsofpeopleare
notifiedbymailthattheyhavewonafreeprize.Usually,it’s
apostcardthatsaysyourprizewillbeoneoffourorfive
“valuable”items—likeanewcar,acolortelevision,ora
$1,000savingsbond.
Typically,conartistswhosesolepurposeistorip
youoffmailthesenotices.Whenyoucontactthecompany
byphonetoclaimyourprize,thescamartistwilltellyouthat
youarerequiredtopaya“processing”or
“insurance”feeandpressureyoutogive
outyourcreditcardnumber.Don’tdoit!
Theconartistmaymakethousandsof
dollarsinunauthorizedchargestoyour
account.Ifyourefusetogiveoutyourcredit
cardnumber,bewareoftheconartist’s
otherscam—convincingyoutocoverthe
processingorinsurancefeebysendinga
checkforhundredsofdollarsbyovernight
courier,orbywiringthefeetoapersonor
businessinCanada,CostaRica,oranother
foreignlocation.
Eitherway,youcanbecertain
thatyourprizewillcostyoumorethanit’s
worth—oritmayneverarriveatall.
3Guide To Preventing Mail Fraud
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‘Free’ Vacations “Congratulations!Youhave
wonafreevacationfortwoin
beautiful,sun-drenchedBermuda.”Soundtoogoodtobe
true?Itprobablyis.
There’salwaysacatch.Inthemostcommonformof
thisscam,tobeeligibleforthefreevacationyouwilleitherbe
requiredtopayaservicechargeortopurchaseamembership
inatravelclub.Don’tpayit.Anddonot,underany
circumstances,givethecompanyyourcreditcardnumberor
evenitsexpirationdate.Ifyoudo,here’swhatyoucanexpect:
■ Therewillbemanyrestrictionsonwhenyoucantakeyour
trip.
■ Youmayberequiredtopayanadditionalhandlingchargeto
bookyourreservation.
■ Thetraveldatesyoupreferwillverylikely
beunavailable.
■ Ifyoucomplain,youmaybeofferedanupgradedplanfor
stillanotheradditionalfee.
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Thatbrownenvelopeinyourmailboxlookedso
officialyouthoughtitwasfromagovernment
agency.Eventhename,returnaddress,andseallookedofficial.Such
mailingscanbedeceptiveandconfusing,andaresometimesillegal.They
typicallycontainsweepstakessolicitationsorrequestsfordonationsto
politicalcauses.Suchmailingsarenolongerallowedunless:
■ Theentityactuallyhasagovernmentconnection,approval,
orendorsement.
■ Themailanditsenvelopebearanoticethatdisclaimssuchconnection,
approval,orendorsementbyagovernmentagency.
■ Thematerialiscontainedinapublicationpurchasedorrequestedbythe
addressee.
Carefullyreadthematerialinsidetheenvelopetodetermineifitreally
isfromagovernmentagency.
Government Look-Alike Mail
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Solicitations Disguised As Invoices
Don’tbevictimizedbyconartistswhotry
togetyoutoordergoodsorservicesby
mailingsolicitationsthatlooklikeinvoices.The
unscrupulousindividualswhomailtheseknowthatsomeunsuspecting
individualswillbefooledbytheirappearanceandwillautomaticallypay,
thinkingtheymayhaveplacedanorderbutforgotaboutit.
Somesolicitationsdisguisetheirtruenature.Othersidentify
themselvesassolicitations,butonlyinthefineprint.Ineithercase,withhold
paymentuntilyouhaveverifiedwhetheryouactuallyorderedandreceivedthe
goodsorservicesreflected
onthedocument.Ifnot,
donotpay.Youmayhave
receivedasolicitationinthe
guiseofaninvoice.
Business Tip: Watch out for “Yellow Pages”
advertising invoices designed to look like
they’re from your local telephone directory
publisher. You can almost always be
assured that these bills are bogus. Charges
for genuine Yellow Pages advertising will
appear on your local telephone bill.
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Foreign Lotteries Youhearthestatelottojingle
ontheradio.Thejackpothas
beenraisedto$10million.You’vegotlottofever!Nextthing
youknowthere’sabrochureinyourmailboxurgingyouto
participateinsomeforeigncountry’slottery—maybeonein
AustraliaorCanada—viatheconvenientmail-orderpurchase
oflotterytickets,orofashareinapooloflotterytickets.
We’vegotahottipforyou:Don’tfallforit!Here’s
why:
■ It’sillegal.Afederalstatuteprohibitsmailingpaymentsto
purchaseanyticket,share,orchanceinaforeignlottery.
Exceptforstate-ownedand-operatedlotteries,federallaw
prohibitssendinglotterymaterialthroughthemail.
■ It’sprobablyascam.Most—ifnotall—foreignlottery
come-onssenttoU.S.addressesthroughthemailare
bogus.Theydon’tcomefromforeigngovernmentagencies
orlicensees.Instead,theycomefromconartistswhotake
yourmoneyandgiveyounothinginreturn.
Guide To Preventing Mail Fraud 7
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Chain LettersHaveyoueverreceivedachain
letterore-mailmessageguaranteeingyou’ll“earnbig$$$$”
withonesmallinvestment?Allyouhavetodoissend$10to
everyoneonthelist,placeyournameatthebottomofthe
list,andmailitto10friends.Thenjustsitbackandwatchthe
checksfillyourmailbox.
Don’twasteyourmoney.Chainlettersdon’twork.
What’smore,ifyoumailchainletters,youcouldbecommitting
afederalcrime.Thesamelawthatprohibitslotteriesappliesto
chainlettersaswell.
Lookatthechart.Youcanseethat
moreparticipantsarerequiredthanthereare
peopleintheentireworld!Thefirstinvestor
inthechainmayreceivesomemoney,but
laterparticipantsrarelygeteventheiroriginal
investmentsback.
No. of Mailings No. of Participants
1 6
2 36
3 216
4 1,296
5 7,776
6 46,656
7 279,936
8 1,679,616
9 10,077,696
10 60,466,176
11 362,797,056
12 2,176,782,336
13 13,060,694,016
U.S. Population: MoreThan300Million
World Population:MoreThan6Billion
8 U.S. Postal Inspection Service
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Charity FraudMostmailsolicitationsfor
charitablecontributionsarelegitimateappealsforagood
cause.Somearephony.Charityfrauddoesalotofharm.
Theswindlertakesadvantageofpeople’sgoodwilland
takestheircash—moneymeantforpeopleinneed.
Givetocharitiesyouknow.Checkouttheonesyou
haveneverheardof,orwhosenamesaresimilartowell-
knowncharities.Also:
■ Besuspiciousofcharitiesthatacceptonlycash.
■ Alwaysmakeoutyourcheckormoneyordertothe
organizationtowhichyouwanttodonatemoney,notto
anindividual.
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Insurance FraudSlickoperatorswhorun
insurancepolicyschemeswilltrytosellyouanythingin
theinsuranceline,regardlessofyourexistingcoverageor
need.Thepremiumsfarexceedthosechargedbyreputable
insurancefirms.Watchforthesescam-relatedtricks:
■ Arequestforcashpayments.
■ Arequestforlump-sumpaymentsasfarasayearin
advance.
■ Anofferoflast-chanceinsurancebargains.
■ Arequestthatyousignablankinsuranceform.
Whenpurchasinginsurance,besureto
readallthefineprintondocumentsandpurchaseonly
theinsurancecoverageyouneed.Discusstheofferwithan
attorneyoraknowledgeablefriendorrelativebeforesigning
anydocument.
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Medical FraudForyears
medicalquackshavesoldpowders,pills,lotions,
andothergimmicksthroughthemailtopeopleseekingcures
forbaldness,obesity,orsexualdysfunction.Tremendousmedical
advanceshavemadethesuccessfultreatmentofsuchconditionsareality.Despite
legitimatemedicalbreakthroughs,snake-oilmerchantscontinuetopeddleworthless
potions,offering“miracles”like:
■ Instantcureforarthritis!
■ Loseweightovernight!
■ Lookyearsyounger!
Thegadgetsandgimmicksadvertisedarenottestedbycompetentmedical
authorities,andsomearedownrightdangerous,so:
■ Don’ttrustyourhealthtoasalesperson.
■ Don’tbelieveclaimsofasecretcureormiracledrug.(Suchadvancesmakebig
newsworldwide.)
■ Besuspiciousofclaimsofexcessiveweightloss.
■ Don’tbelieveexaggeratedclaimsofregainedyouthortheperfectfigure.
Protectyourhealthandyourpocketbook.Beforepurchasinganycure-alls,
consultyourfamilyphysician.
Guide To Preventing Mail Fraud 11
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Internet FraudTheInternetisteemingwithfraudulentschemes,
andswindlersfinditeasytoexploitinnocentvictimsonline.Fraudonthe
Internetresultsinmailfraudwhen“cyberscammers”receivepaymentsand
shipitemsviatheU.S.Mail.
Forexample,winnersofonlineauctionsmayneverreceivethe
advertiseditem:Afterdishonestsellersreceivepayment,theyfailtoship
theitem.OnlinecrooksusetheanonymityofferedbytheInternetanda
rentedaddressatacommercialmailreceivingagencytohidetheiridentities.
Ingeneral,itcanbedifficulttoknowwithwhomyouaredealingwhen
conductingbusinessonline.
Cyberscammersmayalsobidontheirownauctionitems,under
anotheruserID,toraisebidamounts.Ortheymaycontactbiddersfroman
auctiontoinformthemthatthewinnerfailedtomakepaymentandtheitem
isstillavailable.Again,despiteamailed-inpayment,nomerchandiseissent.
Theadvantagetoconartistsusingthistacticisthattheonlineauctionsiteis
notinvolvedandthevictimisunabletoseekhelpwiththeproblem.
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Phony Inheritance Schemes Wouldn’titbeniceifyou
unexpectedlycameintoan
inheritancefromalong-lost
relativeorfriend?Itrarelyhappens.Ifyoureceiveanotification
inthemailfroman“estatelocator”sayingthatthereisan
unclaimedinheritancewaitingforyou,beware!Youcouldbe
thetargetofaslickconartist.
Theseunscrupulouswhite-collarcriminalsalsocall
themselves“researchspecialists”—buttheydidn’tfindyou
bydoingresearch.Youareoneofthousandsacrossthe
nationwhoaretargetedinmassmailings.Manyofthese
recipientsareluredintomailingafee—sometimes$30
ormore—foran“estatereport.”Alltheindividualsonthe
mailinglistreceivethesameinformation,sochancesare
almostzerothatyouaretheheir.
Youcanprotectyourselfbycheckingothersources
beforesendingfundsinresponsetoanestate-locator
solicitation.Thosewhohavebeennamedtodistributeestate
fundstorightfulheirsnormallydonotrequestyoutopayafee
tofindoutaboutyourshareoftheestate.
Guide To Preventing Mail Fraud 13
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Home Improvement and Home Repair Fraud
Becausehomerepairsand
improvementsareexpensive,
conartistsandthieveshave
enteredtheindustrytoripyou
off.Becarefulifsomeonemailsyouabrochureofferingtodo
anexpensivejobforanunusuallylowprice.Onceyousign
thecontract,youwilllearnwhythepriceissolow:Thefirm
neverdeliverstheserviceyoupaidforinadvance.
Freeinspectionsbyconartiststurnup
plentyofexpensiverepairsyoudon’tneed.Someshady
operatorsoffertodotheworkonthespot.However,when
theyleave,youmaybeleftwithalargebillandafaultyrepair
job.Herearesomeprecautionsyoucantaketomakean
informeddecision:
■ Alwaysgetseveralestimatesforeveryrepairjob.
■ Verifythecompany’snameandaddress.
■ Askforreferencesandcheckthemout.
■ ContactyourlocalBetterBusinessBureautocheckthe
company’sreputationbeforeyouauthorizeworkorpay
anymoney.
■ Makesureyouunderstandthedetailsofacontractbefore
yousign.
■ Inspectthefinishedproductbeforeyoupay,andneverpay
incash.
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Investment Fraud Whetherthey’resellingbogussecurities,
commodities,oroilwells,fraudulentinvestment
promoterstrytogetyoutoinvestmoney—lotsofit.Theywillpromiseyou
eitheralargeincreaseinthevalueofyourinvestment,
higher-than-marketinterestonyourcapital,orboth.
Investmentschemersmarketbymailandbytelephone,armed
withhigh-pressureandsophisticatedsellingtechniques.Someswindlers
surroundthemselveswiththetrappingsoflegitimacy—rentedofficespace,
areceptionist,investmentcounselors,andprofessionallydesignedcolor
brochuresdescribingtheinvestment.
Youmaybedealingwithaninvestmentswindlerifyoucananswer
“yes”tothefollowing:
■ Doesthesalespersonmakeitsoundasifyoucan’tlose?
■ Areyoupromisedanunusuallyhighrateofreturnorinterestpaymenton
yourcapital?
■ Areyoupressuredtomakeadecisionbecausenewinvestmentunits“are
sellingfast”?
Guide To Preventing Mail Fraud 15
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Fees Charged for Normally Free Services
Manyservicesareavailablefree
ofchargefromthegovernment
orotherorganizations.Arecent
come-oninvolvesofferingsuchservicesforafeeinthehope
thatyouareunawaretheservicesareavailableatnocost
elsewhere.Bewareofmailsolicitationsthattrytogetyouto
payafeeforsuchservicesas:
■ Childsupportcollectionassistance.
■ Unclaimedincometaxrefunds.
■ Propertytaxexemptions.
Contactthefederal,state,andlocalagencies
responsiblefortheseservices,andchancesareyou’llgetthe
informationandassistanceyouneedfreeofcharge.
Asimilarschemepreysonthosewhoselovedones
aremissing.Ifyouhavemissingrelativesorfriends,be
cautiousaboutpeoplewhocontactyoutoofferinformationon
thewhereaboutsofyourlovedonesforafee.Ifyoureceive
suchasolicitation,contactlawenforcementauthorities.
16 U.S. Postal Inspection Service
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Advance-Fee Loans Haveyouhaddifficultyobtaining
apersonalorbusinessloan
throughnormalsources?Ifso,youmaybecomethetargetof
anadvance-feeloanscheme,whereaconartistoffersyoua
“guaranteed”loanforafeepaidinadvance.
Theswindlerclaimstobeabletoobtainaloanfor
youwitheasefromalegitimatelendinginstitution,suchasa
savingsandloanassociation.However,theswindlerhasno
abilitytosecurealoanforyou.Instead,theswindlersteals
yourfeeandeitherdisappearsorremainsintheareatobilk
otherunsuspectingvictimswhilestallingyouwithexcuses
astowhyyourloanhasnotbeenfunded.Protectyourself!
Knowyou’rewithalegitimatelendinginstitutionbefore
enteringintoanegotiationforanyloan,and
becertainyouunderstandthetermsbefore
yousignonthedottedline. Business Tip: You may get a letter from a
“government official” who offers your
company a percentage for its help in
secretly transferring millions of dollars from
a foreign country. To participate in the
lucrative scheme, all you have to do is
provide your company’s letterhead,
invoices, and bank account number.
Executives who have fallen for this pitch —
which is a complete fabrication — have told
horror stories of their losses.
Guide To Preventing Mail Fraud 17
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Credit Repair and Credit Card Schemes
Haveyoubeendeniedamajorcreditcarddue
toapoorcreditrating?Watchoutforphony
creditrepairorcreditcardoffers.Someoffers
willendupcostingyoulotsofmoney,andyouwon’tgetwhatyouthinkis
beingoffered.
Scamartistsmayofferyoucreditrepairservices.Afterpayingalarge
fee,allyoureceiveisalistofbanksthatofferasecuredVisaorMasterCard.
“Secured”cardsareissuedafteryoudepositenoughmoneytocoverany
chargesyoumakeandareofferedbymanybanks.Saveyourmoneyand
lookupthesebanksinyourlocalYellowPages.
Scamartistsmayalsooffera“majorcreditcard”forafee.Butwhen
yourcardarrives,itcanonlybeusedwithaspecificstoreorcatalogthatalso
happenstobeownedbythecompanythatissuedyourcreditcard.“Single-
usecreditcards”arenotanewconcept,butscamartistsmisrepresent
themasbeingall-purposebankcreditcards.Itcangetworsewhenthe
merchandiseinthecatalogfromwhichyoumustchooseyourpurchasesis
eitherinferiororgrosslyoverpriced.
Ifyouhavepoorcredit,becarefulwhenrespondingtoanofferfor
credit.Ifyouarenotsatisfiedwiththeinformationprovidedintheoffer,donot
payanyfeesupfront.Otherwise,youmaybecomeavictim.
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Work-at-Home Offers Conartistsknowthatworkingat
homeisanattractivealternative
formany.That’swhytheyplacesuchads.Maybeyou’ve
evenrespondedtoone.Thousandsofpeoplehavehelped
unscrupulouspromoterspocketvictims’hard-earneddollars.
Beware!Work-at-homeschemeswillnotguarantee
regularsalariedemployment.Theywillrequireyoutoinvest
yourmoneybeforeyoulearnhowaplanworksorbeforeyou
aresentinstructions.Theworkyouareaskedtodooften
continuesthefraudbygettingothervictimsinvolved.
Themostcommontypeofwork-at-homefraudis
envelopestuffing.Typically,thereisnothingtostuff.Instead,
youreceiveinstructionsonhowtodeceiveothersbyplacing
anadliketheoneyourespondedto!Otherschemesrequire
youtoassemblegiftandspecialtyproductsforwhichthereis
littleornomarket.
Alwayssuspectanyadfromthemailorviathe
Internetclaimingyoucanearnunusuallyhighincomewithlittle
ornoeffortonyourpart.
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20 U.S. Postal Inspection Service
Distributorship and Franchise Fraud
Distributorshipsandfranchises
canbelegitimateandoften
profitableformsofbusiness
enterprises.Fastfoodandquick-printingfranchisesare
examplesofopportunitiesofferedbynationalorganizationsto
individualswillingtoinvestasubstantialamountofmoneyfor
therighttooperatesuchbusinesses.
Unfortunately,therearesomedeviouspromoterswho
usethecoveroflegitimatebusinessestoadvertisefraudulent
opportunities.Theytaketheirinvestors’moneyandquietlygo
outofbusiness.
Watchforthesewarningsigns:
■ Promisesofunrealisticprofits.
■ Promoterswhoseemmoreinterestedinsellingtheir
distributorshiporfranchisethantheyareintheproductor
servicebeingoffered.
■ Promoterswhoarereluctanttoletyoucontact
currentfranchisees.
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Phony Job Opportunities Bewareofadvertisementsthatmake
unbelievableclaimsaboutjobopportunities.The
adsmisrepresentwagesandthenumberofjobsactuallyavailable,andyou
mustalwayspayafeetoreceivemoreinformation.Youshouldbewareofjob
opportunitypitchesthat:
■ Guaranteeplacementinajob.
■ Claimnoexperienceorspecialskillsareneededtoqualify.
■ Offertoo-good-to-be-truewages.
■ Offeroverseasemployment.
EspeciallybewaryofadsthatpromisetogetyouajobwiththeU.S.Postal
Service.Inreturnforyourmoney,youmayonlygetgenericinformationthat
isavailablefreefromthePostalServiceandfromsomepubliclibraries.Save
yourmoneyandcontactyournearestPostalServiceemploymentoffice,
orthePostalServiceWebsiteatusps.com,todetermineifpostaljobsare
availableinyourareaandtoobtainthenecessaryapplicationforms.
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Unsolicited Merchandise Acompanysendsyouagiftinthemail—atie,
agoodluckcharm,orakeychain.Youdidn’t
orderthegift.Whatdoyoudo?Manypeoplewillfeelguiltyandpayforthe
gift.Butyoudon’thaveto.Whatyoudowiththemerchandiseisentirelyup
toyou.
■ Ifyouhavenotopenedthepackage,markit“ReturntoSender.”The
PostalServicewillsenditbackatnochargetoyou.
■ Ifyouopenthepackageanddon’tlikewhatyoufind,throwitaway.
■ Ifyouopenthepackageandlikewhatyoufind,keepit—free.Thisisa
rareinstancewhere“finders,keepers”appliesunconditionally.
Whateveryoudo,don’tpayforit—anddon’tgetconnedifthe
senderfollowsupwithaphonecallorvisit.Bylaw,unsolicitedmerchandise
isyourstokeep.
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Reshipping FraudArelativelynewschemetargeting
businessesandcreditcardownersis“reshippingfraud.”
CriminalsoperatingprimarilyfromEasternEuropeancountries
andNigeriahavebeenconductingwidespread,international
schemesinvolvingbogusjoboffers,fraudulentcreditcard
orders,andthereshippingofillegallyobtainedproducts.
Thescambeginswhencriminalsbuyhigh-dollar
merchandise—suchascomputers,cameras,andother
electronics—viatheInternetusingstolencreditcards.
Theyhavethemerchandiseshippedtoaddressesinthe
UnitedStatesofpaid“reshippers”(whomaybeunaware
theyarehandlingstolengoods).Thereshippersrepackage
themerchandiseandmailittolocationsinRussia,Ukraine,
Estonia,Lithuania,Romania,andGermany.Victimized
businessesincludesuchwell-knowncompaniesasAmazon,
Gateway,andeBay,andotherInternetauctionsites.
U.S.PostalInspectorsofferthesetips:
■ Don’tgiveoutpersonalinformationtoapersonorcompany
youdon’tknow.
■ Besuspiciousofanyofferthatdoesn’tpayaregularsalary
orinvolvesworkingforanoverseascompany.
■ CheckthecompanywiththeFTC,BetterBusinessBureau,
orstateAttorneyGeneral.
Guide To Preventing Mail Fraud 23
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24 U.S. Postal Inspection Service
Fake Check Scams Shouldyouwiremoneytoastranger?U.S.PostalInspectorshope
yousay:Absolutelynot!Theoffermaysoundlikeanicedeal,but—
asusual—it’sjusttoogoodtobetrue.Thecheckormoneyorderyoureceivewillbecounterfeit.And
you’llbeoutthemoney.
Fakecheckscamsappearinvariousdisguises:
■ You’reoverpaidforanitemyousoldontheInternetandareaskedtowire-transferbacktheextra
dollars.
■ Youreceiveacheckwithanoticethatyou’vewonaforeignlotteryorsweepstakes.You’retoldto
depositthecheck,representingaportionofyourwinnings,andwire-transfer$2,000to$5,000back
“tocoverthetaxes”soyoucancollecttherestofyourwinnings.
■ Youreceiveawork-at-homeofferthatpromises,inreturnfordepositingamoneyorderorcheckto
yourbankaccount,youcankeepapercentageofthemoneyafterwire-transferringtherest.
■ Someoneinachatroomasksyouforafavor:Justcashacheckandwire-transferbackthemoney.
■ Youseeawork-at-homeofferonlinethatrequiresusingsoftwaretocreatechecksonyourcomputer
andmailingthecheckstoU.S.addresses.
Inanycase,thecheckormoneyorderyoureceivefordepositwillbeacounterfeit.Itwillbe
returnedtoyourbankunpaid,andthefullamountwillbedeductedfromyouraccount.
Youareresponsibleforanycheckormoneyorderyoudeposittoyouraccount.Ifthecheckor
moneyorderturnsouttobeacounterfeit,orisreturnedunpaidforanyreason,youarefullyresponsible
fortheloss.
Federallawrequiresbankstomakedepositedfundsavailablewithin1to5businessdays.
Justbecauseyoucanwithdrawcashfromyouraccountsoonafterdepositingacheckormoney
orderdoesn’tmeantheitemyoudepositedisvalid.Itcanbeweeksbeforeacheckormoneyorderis
discoveredtobeacounterfeitandreturnedtoyourbankunpaid.Bankemployeesmaynotbeableto
determinewhetheranitemisinvalid.Theirjobistoprocessyourfinancialdocument.
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Guide To Preventing Mail Fraud 25
Ifyoubelieveyou’vebeenvictimizedbyascaminvolvingtheU.S.
Mail,youcangethelpbycontactingyournearestPostalInspection
Serviceofficeinoneofthreeways:
1. Call1-877-876-2455(pressoption“4”toreportsuspectedmailfraud).
2. Visitpostalinspectors.uspis.govtoreportsuspectedfraudonline.
3. Mailyourqueriestothisaddress:
CRIMINALINVESTIGATIONSSERVICECENTERATTN:MAILFRAUD222SRIVERSIDEPLZSTE1250CHICAGOIL60606-6100
How to Contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service
How to Contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service
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United StateS PoStal inSPection Service
WaShington dc 20260-2169addreSS Service reqUeSted
First-Class Mail Postage & Fees Paid
UsPs PerMit No. g-10
to learn more about mail fraud or to report suspected fraud, visit the U.s. Postal inspection Web site at postalinspectors.uspis.gov
United States Postal inspection Service
Publication 300-A, June 2010
PSN 7610-04-000-6949
U.S. Postal Inspection Service
Guide to Preventing Mail Fraud