How to Avoid Mail Fraud

We all know that stealing from the mail and using the mail to defraud are federal crimes. Yet, scams still occur. Be wary and alert.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Calendars
• File Folders

1. Refrain from entering sweepstakes or other games of chance if you do not know the sponsoring organization.

2. Ignore promises of easy money.

3. Send no money if you have "won" something or it is "free." Being asked to pay a fee to get something free or to claim a prize is another warning sign of fraud.

4. Send only checks or money orders through the mail - never cash.

5. Give only to charities you know.

6. Guard your personal information. Refuse to give out your credit card or bank account numbers in response to mail from an organization you do not know.

7. Toss away a solicitation for money that looks like a government document. The government does not solicit.

8. Document your transactions and keep the envelopes. They are proof that mail was used for fraudulent solicitations.

Tips & Warnings

• No one can legitimately guarantee that you will win a lottery or sweepstakes, earn high returns on investments with little or no risk, or make big earnings with little or no work.
• If you really won a sweepstakes, you pay taxes directly to the government, not through a company.
• Contact your local post office or the postal inspectors if you suspect mail fraud.

on 6/30/2006 We have never fallen for any mail fraud, but we just got scammed out of $249. We recently bought an ad for our business in the yellow pages and shortly thereafter we received and paid a bill for $249 from "YELLOW ASSISTANCE" complete with the "let your fingers do the walking" logo. Well, it actually wasn't our bill, it was a solicitation for putting our website into their useless search engine (and they didn't even do that). All of our calls and e-mails have gone unanswered.

Tip: Always read the fine print!

on 11/22/2005 I'm a pretty smart person, but once answered a compelling letter and sent cash to enter the Irish Sweepstakes. Of course, I got no receipt and couldn't win, but I didn't think of that when I sent in the money. These letters now go straight into recycling.

on 11/22/2005 It's very easy to be misled by some offers that come through the mail. We often "read" what we want to read and ignore the small print that tells us otherwise. I try to set the solicitation aside and reread it later.