Avoiding Scams

A Short Course in Mail Order Fraud

When the mail is used to intentionally misrepresent a product or service it constitutes Mail Fraud. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is charged with investigating violations of the law, usually in response to consumer complaints.

Beginners Take Notice

Would you send Sears $20 and expect them to know you were ordering without you specifying it in your order form? Would you send your electric company a check for $15 and expect them to know what account you were making a payment on?

Big Mail Order Scams Explained

No matter how hard anyone tries, mail order scams existed in the past, they exist now and they will continue to exist into the future.

Chain Letters and Pyramid Schemes - Why They Don't Work

If you are active in mail order, you've no doubt seen tons of chain letters and pyramid programs. In case you're not familiar with them, here's an overview, so you know what to watch out for.

Envelope Stuffing Scams

It seems like every mail order publication has at least one ad in it promising hundreds of dollars a week, just for stuffing envelopes. Some even promise to pay $4 or $5 per envelope stuffed!

Examples of Mail Order Scams

After spending the last few months investigating certain types of mail order businesses, it was obvious that some of them were borderline questionable, if not a verifiable scam.

Hidden Truths about Legitimate Scams

What's a legitimate scam? It's a scam that delivers the product or service it claims to but the customer is still left with nothing!

Popular Con Games and How to Recognize Them

The object of any con game is to cause you to part with your money or other thing of value. Most con games are initiated by people who approach you on the street or call on you at your home.

Protect Yourself from Being Ripped Off

Research and development are a part of my daily mail order business life. It is extremely beneficial to you and your business to be well informed of what is going on around you.

Swindlers are Calling

But wherever honest firms search for new customers, so do swindlers. Phone fraud is a multi-billion dollar business that involves selling everything from bad or non-existent investments to the peddling of misrepresented products and services.

The Free Credit Card Trap

They arrive in your mail - a conspicuous looking mail piece from some "official looking" bank claiming that you have been Pre-Approved for a MasterCard or VISA credit card.

The Sweepstakes Fraud

You go to your mailbox today and find an official document from an Awards Committee claiming that you've JUST WON $5,000! All you have to do is run in the house and call them to claim your prize! What joy! You can't believe it!

What to Do when You're a Crime Victim

The 911 telephone system is standard nationwide to enable callers to reach emergency services by phone with a minimum of difficulty. If you have an emergency involving the safety of life or property, you are encouraged to make use of the system.