Franklin
County
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Catch
the Mailbox Bandit
Catch the mailbox bandit. How do you spot bogus mail offers? If an
offer you get in the mail asks you to send money to claim a free gift,
toss it. A free gift should be exactly that – free. Prize contests are
fundraisers for con artists. Do not send them money to win a prize. Think
you’ve won a fabulous vacation? Think again. You’re likely to have to
pay for membership fees, and will encounter scheduling problems, shabby
hotels and fly-by-night airlines. If you receive a solicitation that looks
like or claims to be a government document, pitch it. The government
doesn’t solicit citizens for money. And read the front and back of
unsolicited checks you get in the mail. By cashing the check, you may be
agreeing to be billed monthly for something you do not want or need or it
may be a loan with a high interest rate.
If you think a mailbox bandit has scammed you, contact your local
postmaster or the toll-free Mail Fraud Complaint Center at 1-800-372-8347.
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Franklin County University of Missouri Extension Center
FranklinCo@missouri.edu Last revised: 08/21/08 |
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