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If you are facing the loss of your home because you can no longer afford your mortgage it’s essential that you understand your options. As of last month, six percent of all mortgage borrowers were late with their payments nationwide. Let's put that number in perspective. If you walk a block of twenty houses bought on a mortgage, you... more »
The U.S. Postmaster General is the chief executive of the U.S. Postal Service. The Postmaster General's duties include oversight of consumer complaints and investigations of mail fraud in its many forms. It is not difficult to contact and file a complaint with the Postmaster General, provided you know the proper contact information... more »
Mail and telemarketing fraud are often linked. The U.S. postal inspectors examine crimes that use the U.S. mail to enable a scheme, even if the fraud began over the telephone. Telemarketing fraud refers to any ploy in which the callers use the telephone to communicate with prospective victims, persuading them to send money. Both mail... more »
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. more »
Spotting e-mail hoaxes or fraud is easy once you know the signs. For example, a good proportion of this sort of spam is generated from other countries. Here are some easy signs to tell if an e-mail is genuine. more »
The old adage holds true, "if something seems too good to be true, it probably is." In the past few years, the internet has made its way into... more »
Identity theft is a crime that has affected approximately 8.9 million as of 2006, according to the Better Business Bureau. Identity theft isn't... more »
Mail fraud is an offence under US federal law, which refers to any scheme which attempts to unlawfully obtain money or valuables in which the postal system is used at any point in the commission of a criminal offense. Mail fraud is covered by Title 18 of the United States Code, Chapter 63. As in the case of wire fraud, this statute is often used as a basis for a separate federal prosecution of what would otherwise have been only a violation of a state law. "Mail fraud" is a term of art referring to a specific statutory crime in the United States of America. In countries with non-federal legal systems the concept of mail fraud is irrelevant: the activities listed below are likely to be crimes there, but the fact that they are carried out by mail makes no difference to which authority may prosecute or the penalties which may be imposed.
Types of mail fraud
Non-delivery or misrepresentation of mail-order merchandise
This scheme exists in various forms; order an item, make payment, receive nothing is the simplest form of mail fraud. Other variants include misleading descriptions (advertisement says an expensive camera is available by mail-order, when the item arrives it turns out to be a toy camera), deliberate sale of defective merchandise or even stolen merchandise. High-ticket items such as computer hardware are particularly tempting targets for scam artists.
The same scams now exist online; non-delivery of auction or mail-order merchandise advertised on Internet sites is a common complaint.
Another variant involves shipping merchandise which was never ordered, obtaining a signature on delivery (or even COD), demanding payment for the items on the basis that they were signed for at destination.
Promotions selling services or data delivered entirely online are also particularly high-risk; if the promoter in question refuses to deliver as advertised, a fraud may be much more difficult to prove than if the seller is obliged to ship a read more at » http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mail+fraud
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