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U.S. Postal Inspection Service Guide to Preventing Mail FraudPublication 300-AJune 2007
United StateS PoStal inSPection Service
WaShington dc 20260-2169
addreSS Service reqUeSted
To learn more about mail fraud or to report suspected fraud, visit the U.S. Postal Inspection Web site at usps.com/postalinspectors.
United States Postal inspection ServicePSn 7610-04-000-6949
FIrST-ClaSS MaIl PoSTage & FeeS PaId
USPS PerMIT No. g-10
Guide to Preventing Mail Fraud1. Purpose. In accordance with its mission to prevent the use of the mail to defraud customers or convey dangerous
mailings, as expressed in the Postal Service’s Transformation Plan, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service has prepared this booklet to help consumers and businesses identify different types of mail fraud. every year, thousands of people and businesses are victimized by mail fraud schemes. Protecting U.S. Mail and the mail system is the responsibility of the Postal Inspection Service. as a law enforcement arm of the U.S. Postal Service, the Postal Inspection Service is a highly specialized, professional organization performing criminal investigations, security, and crime prevention functions. Postal Inspectors investigate violations of federal mail fraud laws and other mail-related crime. To learn more about mail fraud or to report suspected fraud, visit the U.S. Postal Inspection Web site at www.usps.com/postalinspectors.
2 Requisition. To obtain a copy of this booklet, call the Topeka Material distribution Center at 1-800-332-0317.
3. Questions and Comments. Check the back of the booklet for Postal Inspection Service locations and contact numbers. If you would like to make suggestions or comments about this booklet, please send them to:
INSPeCTor IN Charge MaIl FraUd aNd aSSeT ForFeITUre US PoSTal INSPeCTIoN ServICe 475 l’eNFaNT Plaza SW rM 3411 WaShINgToN dC 20260-2169
4. Effective Date. This publication is effective upon receipt.
alexander lazaroff Chief Postal Inspector
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 HowtoContactthePostalInspectionService
Guide To Preventing Mail Fraud �
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?
� U.S. Postal Inspection Service
Sweepstakes and ‘Free’ Prizes
Business Tip: Advertising specialty products
like pens, key tags, baseball caps, and ice
scrapers, to name a few, have 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.
�Guide To Preventing Mail Fraud
‘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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U.S. Postal Inspection Service�
Thatbrownenvelopeinyourmailboxlookedso
officialyouthoughtitwasfromagovernment
agency.Eventhename,returnaddress,andseallookedofficial.Such
mailingscanbedeceptiveandconfusing,andaresometimesillegal.They
typicallycontainsweepstakessolicitationsorrequestsfordonationsto
politicalcauses.Suchmailingsarenolongerallowedunless:
Theentityactuallyhasagovernmentconnection,approval,
orendorsement.
Themailanditsenvelopebearanoticethatdisclaimssuchconnection,
approval,orendorsementbyagovernmentagency.
Thematerialiscontainedinapublicationpurchasedorrequestedbythe
addressee.
Carefullyreadthematerialinsidetheenvelopetodetermineifitreally
isfromagovernmentagency.
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Government Look-Alike Mail
�Guide To Preventing Mail Fraud �
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.
�� U.S. Postal Inspection Service
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.
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Guide To Preventing Mail Fraud �
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: Over300Million
World Population:MoreThan6Billion
� U.S. Postal Inspection Service
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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Guide To Preventing Mail Fraud �
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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�0 U.S. Postal Inspection Service
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.
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Guide To Preventing Mail Fraud ��
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.
�� U.S. Postal Inspection Service
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 �3
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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�� U.S. Postal Inspection Service
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”?
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Guide To Preventing Mail Fraud ��
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.
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�� U.S. Postal Inspection Service
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 ��
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.
�� U.S. Postal Inspection Service
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.
Guide To Preventing Mail Fraud ��
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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�0 U.S. Postal Inspection Service
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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Guide To Preventing Mail Fraud ��
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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�� U.S. Postal Inspection Service
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.
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Guide To Preventing Mail Fraud �3
AtlAntA DivisionPo Box 16489AtlAntA GA 30321-0489
Boston Division495 suMMer st ste 600Boston MA 02210-2114
ChArlotte DivisionPo Box 3000ChArlotte nC 28228-3000
ChiCAGo Division433 W hArrison st rM 50190ChiCAGo il 60669-2201
Denver Division1745 stout st ste 900Denver Co 80299-3034
Detroit DivisionPo Box 330119Detroit Mi 48232-6119
Ft Worth Division14800 trinity BlvD suite 600Ft Worth tx 76155-2675
houston Division650 n sAM houston PkWy West houston tx 77067-4336
los AnGeles DivisionPo Box 2000PAsADenA CA 91102-2000
MiAMi Division3400 lAkesiDe Dr 6th FlMirAMAr Fl 33027-3242
neWArk DivisionPo Box 509neWArk nJ 07101-0509
neW york DivisionPo Box 555neW york ny 10116-0555
PhilADelPhiA DivisionPo Box 7500PhilADelPhiA PA 19101-9000
PittsBurGh Division1001 CAliForniA AvePittsBurGh PA 15290-9000
st. louis Division1106 WAlnut stst louis Mo 63199-2201
sAn FrAnCisCo DivisionPo Box 882528sAn FrAnCisCo CA 94188-2528
seAttle DivisionPo Box 400seAttle WA 98111-4000
WAshinGton Division10500 little PAtuxent PkWy 2nD FlColuMBiA MD 21044-3509
�� U.S. Postal Inspection Service
For assistance with postal-related problems
of a law enforcement nature, please contact
the nearest Postal Inspection Service Division
toll-free at 1-877-876-2455 or at the locations
shown below.
how to Contact the Postal inspection service
how to Contact the Postal inspection service
U.S. Postal Inspection Service Guide to Preventing Mail FraudPublication 300-AJune 2007
United StateS PoStal inSPection Service
WaShington dc 20260-2169
addreSS Service reqUeSted
To learn more about mail fraud or to report suspected fraud, visit the U.S. Postal Inspection Web site at usps.com/postalinspectors.
United States Postal inspection ServicePSn 7610-04-000-6949
FIrST-ClaSS MaIl PoSTage & FeeS PaId
USPS PerMIT No. g-10