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
Contentsâ 2 WhatIsMailFraud?
â 3 SweepstakesandâFreeâPrizes
â 4 âFreeâVacations
â 5 GovernmentLook-AlikeMail
â 6 SolicitationsDisguisedasInvoices
â 7 ForeignLotteries
â 8 ChainLetters
â 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
Itâsaschemetogetmoneyorsomething
ofvaluefromyoubyofferingaproduct,
service,orinvestmentopportunitythatdoesnotliveuptoitsclaims.
Prosecutorsmustprovetheclaimswereintentionallymisrepresented
andthatthemailwasusedtocarryoutthescheme.
Althoughmostmail-ordercompaniesarehonestandstand
behindtheirproductsandservices,unfortunatelythereareafewrotten
appleswhogivedirectmailadvertisersabadname.Theycheatpeople
bypeddlingworthlessproducts,medicalquackery,andget-rich-quick
schemes.Somefly-by-nightstakeyourmoneyandsendyounothing.
Unscrupulousbusinessesdonâtmindtakingadvantageofan
unwarycustomer.âLetthebuyerbewareâistheirmottoâandyou
mightbethebuyer.
Mailfraudstersfrequentlyrelyonthesameoldtricks.You
mayevenbefamiliarwithsomeofthem.Thefollowingpagesinclude
someofthemorecommonmailfraudschemesandrelatedconsumer
problems.Watchoutforthem!
What Is Mail Fraud?What Is Mail Fraud?
2 U.S. Postal Inspection Service
Sweepstakes and âFreeâ 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 âboiler roomâ operations also use
these products to ensnare owners and
employees of small companies in a fraud
scheme.
The scheme begins with a notification
that youâve won a big prize in a
sweepstakes promotion. But thereâs a
catch â you are told that you must
purchase a certain quantity of items with
your company name and logo to avoid a
âgift tax.â The purchase, which can amount
to several thousand dollars, may result in
inferior merchandise or nothing at all.
Ithappenseveryday.
Thousandsofpeopleare
notifiedbymailthattheyhavewonafreeprize.Usually,itâs
apostcardthatsaysyourprizewillbeoneoffourorfive
âvaluableâitemsâlikeanewcar,acolortelevision,ora
$1,000savingsbond.
Typically,conartistswhosesolepurposeistorip
youoffmailthesenotices.Whenyoucontactthecompany
byphonetoclaimyourprize,thescamartistwilltellyouthat
youarerequiredtopayaâprocessingâor
âinsuranceâfeeandpressureyoutogive
outyourcreditcardnumber.Donâtdoit!
Theconartistmaymakethousandsof
dollarsinunauthorizedchargestoyour
account.Ifyourefusetogiveoutyourcredit
cardnumber,bewareoftheconartistâs
otherscamâconvincingyoutocoverthe
processingorinsurancefeebysendinga
checkforhundredsofdollarsbyovernight
courier,orbywiringthefeetoapersonor
businessinCanada,CostaRica,oranother
foreignlocation.
Eitherway,youcanbecertain
thatyourprizewillcostyoumorethanitâs
worthâoritmayneverarriveatall.
3Guide To Preventing Mail Fraud
âFreeâ Vacations âCongratulations!Youhave
wonafreevacationfortwoin
beautiful,sun-drenchedBermuda.âSoundtoogoodtobe
true?Itprobablyis.
Thereâsalwaysacatch.Inthemostcommonformof
thisscam,tobeeligibleforthefreevacationyouwilleitherbe
requiredtopayaservicechargeortopurchaseamembership
inatravelclub.Donâtpayit.Anddonot,underany
circumstances,givethecompanyyourcreditcardnumberor
evenitsexpirationdate.Ifyoudo,hereâswhatyoucanexpect:
â Therewillbemanyrestrictionsonwhenyoucantakeyour
trip.
â Youmayberequiredtopayanadditionalhandlingchargeto
bookyourreservation.
â Thetraveldatesyoupreferwillverylikely
beunavailable.
â Ifyoucomplain,youmaybeofferedanupgradedplanfor
stillanotheradditionalfee.
U.S. Postal Inspection Service4
Thatbrownenvelopeinyourmailboxlookedso
officialyouthoughtitwasfromagovernment
agency.Eventhename,returnaddress,andseallookedofficial.Such
mailingscanbedeceptiveandconfusing,andaresometimesillegal.They
typicallycontainsweepstakessolicitationsorrequestsfordonationsto
politicalcauses.Suchmailingsarenolongerallowedunless:
â Theentityactuallyhasagovernmentconnection,approval,
orendorsement.
â Themailanditsenvelopebearanoticethatdisclaimssuchconnection,
approval,orendorsementbyagovernmentagency.
â Thematerialiscontainedinapublicationpurchasedorrequestedbythe
addressee.
Carefullyreadthematerialinsidetheenvelopetodetermineifitreally
isfromagovernmentagency.
Government Look-Alike Mail
5Guide To Preventing Mail Fraud 5
Solicitations Disguised As Invoices
Donâtbevictimizedbyconartistswhotry
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 âYellow Pagesâ
advertising invoices designed to look like
theyâre 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.
66 U.S. Postal Inspection Service
Foreign Lotteries Youhearthestatelottojingle
ontheradio.Thejackpothas
beenraisedto$10million.Youâvegotlottofever!Nextthing
youknowthereâsabrochureinyourmailboxurgingyouto
participateinsomeforeigncountryâslotteryâmaybeonein
AustraliaorCanadaâviatheconvenientmail-orderpurchase
oflotterytickets,orofashareinapooloflotterytickets.
Weâvegotahottipforyou:Donâtfallforit!Hereâs
why:
â Itâsillegal.Afederalstatuteprohibitsmailingpaymentsto
purchaseanyticket,share,orchanceinaforeignlottery.
Exceptforstate-ownedand-operatedlotteries,federallaw
prohibitssendinglotterymaterialthroughthemail.
â Itâsprobablyascam.Mostâifnotallâforeignlottery
come-onssenttoU.S.addressesthroughthemailare
bogus.Theydonâtcomefromforeigngovernmentagencies
orlicensees.Instead,theycomefromconartistswhotake
yourmoneyandgiveyounothinginreturn.
Guide To Preventing Mail Fraud 7
Chain LettersHaveyoueverreceivedachain
letterore-mailmessageguaranteeingyouâllâearnbig$$$$â
withonesmallinvestment?Allyouhavetodoissend$10to
everyoneonthelist,placeyournameatthebottomofthe
list,andmailitto10friends.Thenjustsitbackandwatchthe
checksfillyourmailbox.
Donâtwasteyourmoney.Chainlettersdonâtwork.
Whatâsmore,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
Charity FraudMostmailsolicitationsfor
charitablecontributionsarelegitimateappealsforagood
cause.Somearephony.Charityfrauddoesalotofharm.
Theswindlertakesadvantageofpeopleâsgoodwilland
takestheircashâmoneymeantforpeopleinneed.
Givetocharitiesyouknow.Checkouttheonesyou
haveneverheardof,orwhosenamesaresimilartowell-
knowncharities.Also:
â Besuspiciousofcharitiesthatacceptonlycash.
â Alwaysmakeoutyourcheckormoneyordertothe
organizationtowhichyouwanttodonatemoney,notto
anindividual.
Guide To Preventing Mail Fraud 9
Insurance FraudSlickoperatorswhorun
insurancepolicyschemeswilltrytosellyouanythingin
theinsuranceline,regardlessofyourexistingcoverageor
need.Thepremiumsfarexceedthosechargedbyreputable
insurancefirms.Watchforthesescam-relatedtricks:
â Arequestforcashpayments.
â Arequestforlump-sumpaymentsasfarasayearin
advance.
â Anofferoflast-chanceinsurancebargains.
â Arequestthatyousignablankinsuranceform.
Whenpurchasinginsurance,besureto
readallthefineprintondocumentsandpurchaseonly
theinsurancecoverageyouneed.Discusstheofferwithan
attorneyoraknowledgeablefriendorrelativebeforesigning
anydocument.
10 U.S. Postal Inspection Service
Medical FraudForyears
medicalquackshavesoldpowders,pills,lotions,
andothergimmicksthroughthemailtopeopleseekingcures
forbaldness,obesity,orsexualdysfunction.Tremendousmedical
advanceshavemadethesuccessfultreatmentofsuchconditionsareality.Despite
legitimatemedicalbreakthroughs,snake-oilmerchantscontinuetopeddleworthless
potions,offeringâmiraclesâlike:
â Instantcureforarthritis!
â Loseweightovernight!
â Lookyearsyounger!
Thegadgetsandgimmicksadvertisedarenottestedbycompetentmedical
authorities,andsomearedownrightdangerous,so:
â Donâttrustyourhealthtoasalesperson.
â Donâtbelieveclaimsofasecretcureormiracledrug.(Suchadvancesmakebig
newsworldwide.)
â Besuspiciousofclaimsofexcessiveweightloss.
â Donâtbelieveexaggeratedclaimsofregainedyouthortheperfectfigure.
Protectyourhealthandyourpocketbook.Beforepurchasinganycure-alls,
consultyourfamilyphysician.
Guide To Preventing Mail Fraud 11
Internet FraudTheInternetisteemingwithfraudulentschemes,
andswindlersfinditeasytoexploitinnocentvictimsonline.Fraudonthe
Internetresultsinmailfraudwhenâcyberscammersâreceivepaymentsand
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.
12 U.S. Postal Inspection Service
Phony Inheritance Schemes Wouldnâtitbeniceifyou
unexpectedlycameintoan
inheritancefromalong-lost
relativeorfriend?Itrarelyhappens.Ifyoureceiveanotification
inthemailfromanâestatelocatorâsayingthatthereisan
unclaimedinheritancewaitingforyou,beware!Youcouldbe
thetargetofaslickconartist.
Theseunscrupulouswhite-collarcriminalsalsocall
themselvesâresearchspecialistsââbuttheydidnâtfindyou
bydoingresearch.Youareoneofthousandsacrossthe
nationwhoaretargetedinmassmailings.Manyofthese
recipientsareluredintomailingafeeâsometimes$30
ormoreâforanâestatereport.âAlltheindividualsonthe
mailinglistreceivethesameinformation,sochancesare
almostzerothatyouaretheheir.
Youcanprotectyourselfbycheckingothersources
beforesendingfundsinresponsetoanestate-locator
solicitation.Thosewhohavebeennamedtodistributeestate
fundstorightfulheirsnormallydonotrequestyoutopayafee
tofindoutaboutyourshareoftheestate.
Guide To Preventing Mail Fraud 13
Home Improvement and Home Repair Fraud
Becausehomerepairsand
improvementsareexpensive,
conartistsandthieveshave
enteredtheindustrytoripyou
off.Becarefulifsomeonemailsyouabrochureofferingtodo
anexpensivejobforanunusuallylowprice.Onceyousign
thecontract,youwilllearnwhythepriceissolow:Thefirm
neverdeliverstheserviceyoupaidforinadvance.
Freeinspectionsbyconartiststurnup
plentyofexpensiverepairsyoudonâtneed.Someshady
operatorsoffertodotheworkonthespot.However,when
theyleave,youmaybeleftwithalargebillandafaultyrepair
job.Herearesomeprecautionsyoucantaketomakean
informeddecision:
â Alwaysgetseveralestimatesforeveryrepairjob.
â Verifythecompanyâsnameandaddress.
â Askforreferencesandcheckthemout.
â ContactyourlocalBetterBusinessBureautocheckthe
companyâsreputationbeforeyouauthorizeworkorpay
anymoney.
â Makesureyouunderstandthedetailsofacontractbefore
yousign.
â Inspectthefinishedproductbeforeyoupay,andneverpay
incash.
14 U.S. Postal Inspection Service
Investment Fraud Whethertheyâresellingbogussecurities,
commodities,oroilwells,fraudulentinvestment
promoterstrytogetyoutoinvestmoneyâlotsofit.Theywillpromiseyou
eitheralargeincreaseinthevalueofyourinvestment,
higher-than-marketinterestonyourcapital,orboth.
Investmentschemersmarketbymailandbytelephone,armed
withhigh-pressureandsophisticatedsellingtechniques.Someswindlers
surroundthemselveswiththetrappingsoflegitimacyârentedofficespace,
areceptionist,investmentcounselors,andprofessionallydesignedcolor
brochuresdescribingtheinvestment.
Youmaybedealingwithaninvestmentswindlerifyoucananswer
âyesâtothefollowing:
â Doesthesalespersonmakeitsoundasifyoucanâtlose?
â Areyoupromisedanunusuallyhighrateofreturnorinterestpaymenton
yourcapital?
â Areyoupressuredtomakeadecisionbecausenewinvestmentunitsâare
sellingfastâ?
Guide To Preventing Mail Fraud 15
Fees Charged for Normally Free Services
Manyservicesareavailablefree
ofchargefromthegovernment
orotherorganizations.Arecent
come-oninvolvesofferingsuchservicesforafeeinthehope
thatyouareunawaretheservicesareavailableatnocost
elsewhere.Bewareofmailsolicitationsthattrytogetyouto
payafeeforsuchservicesas:
â Childsupportcollectionassistance.
â Unclaimedincometaxrefunds.
â Propertytaxexemptions.
Contactthefederal,state,andlocalagencies
responsiblefortheseservices,andchancesareyouâllgetthe
informationandassistanceyouneedfreeofcharge.
Asimilarschemepreysonthosewhoselovedones
aremissing.Ifyouhavemissingrelativesorfriends,be
cautiousaboutpeoplewhocontactyoutoofferinformationon
thewhereaboutsofyourlovedonesforafee.Ifyoureceive
suchasolicitation,contactlawenforcementauthorities.
16 U.S. Postal Inspection Service
Advance-Fee Loans Haveyouhaddifficultyobtaining
apersonalorbusinessloan
throughnormalsources?Ifso,youmaybecomethetargetof
anadvance-feeloanscheme,whereaconartistoffersyoua
âguaranteedâloanforafeepaidinadvance.
Theswindlerclaimstobeabletoobtainaloanfor
youwitheasefromalegitimatelendinginstitution,suchasa
savingsandloanassociation.However,theswindlerhasno
abilitytosecurealoanforyou.Instead,theswindlersteals
yourfeeandeitherdisappearsorremainsintheareatobilk
otherunsuspectingvictimswhilestallingyouwithexcuses
astowhyyourloanhasnotbeenfunded.Protectyourself!
Knowyouârewithalegitimatelendinginstitutionbefore
enteringintoanegotiationforanyloan,and
becertainyouunderstandthetermsbefore
yousignonthedottedline. Business Tip: You may get a letter from a
âgovernment officialâ 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 companyâs letterhead,
invoices, and bank account number.
Executives who have fallen for this pitch â
which is a complete fabrication â have told
horror stories of their losses.
Guide To Preventing Mail Fraud 17
Credit Repair and Credit Card Schemes
Haveyoubeendeniedamajorcreditcarddue
toapoorcreditrating?Watchoutforphony
creditrepairorcreditcardoffers.Someoffers
willendupcostingyoulotsofmoney,andyouwonâtgetwhatyouthinkis
beingoffered.
Scamartistsmayofferyoucreditrepairservices.Afterpayingalarge
fee,allyoureceiveisalistofbanksthatofferasecuredVisaorMasterCard.
âSecuredâcardsareissuedafteryoudepositenoughmoneytocoverany
chargesyoumakeandareofferedbymanybanks.Saveyourmoneyand
lookupthesebanksinyourlocalYellowPages.
Scamartistsmayalsoofferaâmajorcreditcardâforafee.Butwhen
yourcardarrives,itcanonlybeusedwithaspecificstoreorcatalogthatalso
happenstobeownedbythecompanythatissuedyourcreditcard.âSingle-
usecreditcardsâarenotanewconcept,butscamartistsmisrepresent
themasbeingall-purposebankcreditcards.Itcangetworsewhenthe
merchandiseinthecatalogfromwhichyoumustchooseyourpurchasesis
eitherinferiororgrosslyoverpriced.
Ifyouhavepoorcredit,becarefulwhenrespondingtoanofferfor
credit.Ifyouarenotsatisfiedwiththeinformationprovidedintheoffer,donot
payanyfeesupfront.Otherwise,youmaybecomeavictim.
18 U.S. Postal Inspection Service
Work-at-Home Offers Conartistsknowthatworkingat
homeisanattractivealternative
formany.Thatâswhytheyplacesuchads.Maybeyouâve
evenrespondedtoone.Thousandsofpeoplehavehelped
unscrupulouspromoterspocketvictimsâhard-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 19
20 U.S. Postal Inspection Service
Distributorship and Franchise Fraud
Distributorshipsandfranchises
canbelegitimateandoften
profitableformsofbusiness
enterprises.Fastfoodandquick-printingfranchisesare
examplesofopportunitiesofferedbynationalorganizationsto
individualswillingtoinvestasubstantialamountofmoneyfor
therighttooperatesuchbusinesses.
Unfortunately,therearesomedeviouspromoterswho
usethecoveroflegitimatebusinessestoadvertisefraudulent
opportunities.Theytaketheirinvestorsâmoneyandquietlygo
outofbusiness.
Watchforthesewarningsigns:
â Promisesofunrealisticprofits.
â Promoterswhoseemmoreinterestedinsellingtheir
distributorshiporfranchisethantheyareintheproductor
servicebeingoffered.
â Promoterswhoarereluctanttoletyoucontact
currentfranchisees.
Phony Job Opportunities Bewareofadvertisementsthatmake
unbelievableclaimsaboutjobopportunities.The
adsmisrepresentwagesandthenumberofjobsactuallyavailable,andyou
mustalwayspayafeetoreceivemoreinformation.Youshouldbewareofjob
opportunitypitchesthat:
â Guaranteeplacementinajob.
â Claimnoexperienceorspecialskillsareneededtoqualify.
â Offertoo-good-to-be-truewages.
â Offeroverseasemployment.
EspeciallybewaryofadsthatpromisetogetyouajobwiththeU.S.Postal
Service.Inreturnforyourmoney,youmayonlygetgenericinformationthat
isavailablefreefromthePostalServiceandfromsomepubliclibraries.Save
yourmoneyandcontactyournearestPostalServiceemploymentoffice,
orthePostalServiceWebsiteatusps.com,todetermineifpostaljobsare
availableinyourareaandtoobtainthenecessaryapplicationforms.
Guide To Preventing Mail Fraud 21
Unsolicited Merchandise Acompanysendsyouagiftinthemailâatie,
agoodluckcharm,orakeychain.Youdidnât
orderthegift.Whatdoyoudo?Manypeoplewillfeelguiltyandpayforthe
gift.Butyoudonâthaveto.Whatyoudowiththemerchandiseisentirelyup
toyou.
â Ifyouhavenotopenedthepackage,markitâReturntoSender.âThe
PostalServicewillsenditbackatnochargetoyou.
â Ifyouopenthepackageanddonâtlikewhatyoufind,throwitaway.
â Ifyouopenthepackageandlikewhatyoufind,keepitâfree.Thisisa
rareinstancewhereâfinders,keepersâappliesunconditionally.
Whateveryoudo,donâtpayforitâanddonâtgetconnedifthe
senderfollowsupwithaphonecallorvisit.Bylaw,unsolicitedmerchandise
isyourstokeep.
22 U.S. Postal Inspection Service
Reshipping FraudArelativelynewschemetargeting
businessesandcreditcardownersisâreshippingfraud.â
CriminalsoperatingprimarilyfromEasternEuropeancountries
andNigeriahavebeenconductingwidespread,international
schemesinvolvingbogusjoboffers,fraudulentcreditcard
orders,andthereshippingofillegallyobtainedproducts.
Thescambeginswhencriminalsbuyhigh-dollar
merchandiseâsuchascomputers,cameras,andother
electronicsâviatheInternetusingstolencreditcards.
Theyhavethemerchandiseshippedtoaddressesinthe
UnitedStatesofpaidâreshippersâ(whomaybeunaware
theyarehandlingstolengoods).Thereshippersrepackage
themerchandiseandmailittolocationsinRussia,Ukraine,
Estonia,Lithuania,Romania,andGermany.Victimized
businessesincludesuchwell-knowncompaniesasAmazon,
Gateway,andeBay,andotherInternetauctionsites.
U.S.PostalInspectorsofferthesetips:
â Donâtgiveoutpersonalinformationtoapersonorcompany
youdonâtknow.
â Besuspiciousofanyofferthatdoesnâtpayaregularsalary
orinvolvesworkingforanoverseascompany.
â CheckthecompanywiththeFTC,BetterBusinessBureau,
orstateAttorneyGeneral.
Guide To Preventing Mail Fraud 23
24 U.S. Postal Inspection Service
Fake Check Scams Shouldyouwiremoneytoastranger?U.S.PostalInspectorshope
yousay:Absolutelynot!Theoffermaysoundlikeanicedeal,butâ
asusualâitâsjusttoogoodtobetrue.Thecheckormoneyorderyoureceivewillbecounterfeit.And
youâllbeoutthemoney.
Fakecheckscamsappearinvariousdisguises:
â YouâreoverpaidforanitemyousoldontheInternetandareaskedtowire-transferbacktheextra
dollars.
â Youreceiveacheckwithanoticethatyouâvewonaforeignlotteryorsweepstakes.Youâretoldto
depositthecheck,representingaportionofyourwinnings,andwire-transfer$2,000to$5,000back
âtocoverthetaxesâsoyoucancollecttherestofyourwinnings.
â Youreceiveawork-at-homeofferthatpromises,inreturnfordepositingamoneyorderorcheckto
yourbankaccount,youcankeepapercentageofthemoneyafterwire-transferringtherest.
â Someoneinachatroomasksyouforafavor:Justcashacheckandwire-transferbackthemoney.
â Youseeawork-at-homeofferonlinethatrequiresusingsoftwaretocreatechecksonyourcomputer
andmailingthecheckstoU.S.addresses.
Inanycase,thecheckormoneyorderyoureceivefordepositwillbeacounterfeit.Itwillbe
returnedtoyourbankunpaid,andthefullamountwillbedeductedfromyouraccount.
Youareresponsibleforanycheckormoneyorderyoudeposittoyouraccount.Ifthecheckor
moneyorderturnsouttobeacounterfeit,orisreturnedunpaidforanyreason,youarefullyresponsible
fortheloss.
Federallawrequiresbankstomakedepositedfundsavailablewithin1to5businessdays.
Justbecauseyoucanwithdrawcashfromyouraccountsoonafterdepositingacheckormoney
orderdoesnâtmeantheitemyoudepositedisvalid.Itcanbeweeksbeforeacheckormoneyorderis
discoveredtobeacounterfeitandreturnedtoyourbankunpaid.Bankemployeesmaynotbeableto
determinewhetheranitemisinvalid.Theirjobistoprocessyourfinancialdocument.
Guide To Preventing Mail Fraud 25
IfyoubelieveyouâvebeenvictimizedbyascaminvolvingtheU.S.
Mail,youcangethelpbycontactingyournearestPostalInspection
Serviceofficeinoneofthreeways:
1. Call1-877-876-2455(pressoptionâ4âtoreportsuspectedmailfraud).
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
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