U.S. Postal Inspection Service initiate global fraud crackdown
Investigators led by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service have arrested 77 people as part of a global fraud crackdown which has since January intercepted more than USD 2.1 billion in counterfeit checks bound for the United States.
The eight-month investigation involved schemes in Nigeria, the Netherlands, England and Canada, and has stopped more than half a million fake checks from being mailed to American victims.
At a press conference at the National Press Club, Postmaster General John Potter announced a consumer-awareness campaign to educate the American public.
Assistant U.S. Attorney General Alice S. Fisher applauded the Postal Inspection Service for its leadership in the global fight against fake checks.
The Postal Inspection Service, in collaboration with financial institutions, consumer advocacy groups and businesses, has formed the Alliance for Consumer Fraud Awareness, which has launched a consumer-education campaign.
The six most popular scams are:
– Foreign Business Offers: Scammers pretend to be businesspeople or government officials and promise millions of dollars. But real companies and government agencies don’t offer legitimate business propositions to people they don’t know.
– Love Losses: The scammer poses as a romantic interest online, and promises to come to the U.S. to be with the victim. Soon after, the online friend asks the victim to cash a check or money order to cover “travel expenses.”
– Overpayments: Scammers buy merchandise online, and then claim they mailed the wrong amount by mistake. The seller is asked to deposit the “wrong” check anyway, and then return the “excess” amount to the scammer. But the check doesn’t clear, and the victim has sent the scammer his own money.
– Rental Schemes: Scammers claim to be moving to the area, and put down a rental deposit. Then they tell their landlord they have unexpected expenses, so they ask for some of their deposit back as a favor. They never move in, and the deposit check never clears.
– Sudden Riches: The scammer claims the victim has won a foreign lottery or sweepstakes. The notice comes by mail, phone, fax or email. Consumers should know that winners of real cash prizes are notified by certified mail.
– Work-at-Home: The scams promise easy money by “processing” checks. The victim deposits the checks and sends the money to the scammer, minus a small fee. Legitimate companies don’t do business like this.
Consumers can learn more and report fraudulent activity at the Alliance website, FakeChecks.org.
