An anecdotal follow-up on Corinne’s post about Minnesota’s efforts to educate its citizens about junk mail scams…
I got a call last week from a pleasant, if slightly distraught, elderly woman named Earline in Sonoma County, CA. She was concerned about a suspicious mailing she’d received from something calling itself the “Auto Warranty Division”. In bold print suggesting dire urgency, the notice informed her that her auto insurance was due to expire, and that she must act quickly to extend her coverage.
But Earline doesn’t own a car. Likewise, she has no insurance on her non-existent car.
Earline called the local police station, who recommended that she call ForestEthics. It isn’t the first time we’ve been recommended by law enforcement, but while we’re flattered to be recognized for keeping tabs on the junk mail industry, we would prefer to see the police investigate suspicious activity like this. Earline probably isn’t the only person in her community to receive this mailing.
In particular, the elderly are at risk. Senior citizens are often hard-pressed to distinguish legitimately important mail from junk mail that merely screams “URGENT“. Older people also came of age during a time when they weren’t as likely to be preyed upon by mail.
As various sites have already documented, this service is quite possibly fraudulent. Yet it and many other less-than-forthright businesses presumably benefit from the same cheap pre-sorted rates as other direct mail.
The phone number listed on Earline’s mailing was 866-538-1212. I just got an automated message identifying the listing as “Automotive Financial Consultants”. Give them a call. Maybe you can get someone on the line. Ask them why they’d mail a notice warning of expiring auto insurance to a person with no car.
Will, Will, Will. First of all, why would Earline call you? Obviously she is someone you know personally. If that’s not the case, I’d be terribly interested in knowing why she would call YOU in connection with a suspicious mailing.
Second, since when do local police stations refer seniors with concerns about mail fraud to Forest Ethics? Law enforcement at all levels of government is well-acquainted with the highly regarded U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and are aware that postal inspectors are charged with investigating false representations and fraudulent offers conducted through the mail. Police generally don’t get involved in investigations of this kind – they immediately turn complaints over to the Inspection Service. Tens of thousands of illegitimate “businesses” have been put out of commission thanks to the investigative skills of postal inspectors, through federal court proceedings and administrative proceedings nationwide. And postal inspectors routinely provide consumer briefings to senior centers and post information on the USPIS website (www.uspis.gov) to empower seniors and others to identify fraudulent offerings and not become victims to them.
Finally, this type of misleading solicitation has nothing whatsoever in common with the completely legitimate advertising mail that comprises 99.9 percent of the advertising mail in the U.S. mail stream. A “Do Not Mail” registry would do nothing to protect seniors from such mailings by the fly-by-night operators who conduct mail scams. Reporting such mailings – as soon as they are received – to the nearest Postal Inspection Service field office (there is also contact information on the website), and to the appropriate State’s consumer protection office, are the way to nip these scams in the bud.
Do the right thing, Will – and encourage people to contact those who are truly in a position to help, rather than lumping in scam artists (who also, by the way, operate quite freely and widely on the internet) with legitimate businesses who choose to use the mail to reach customers and prospective customers. The legit mailers hate the scam artists as much as you do.
И не говори)))))…
http://rel” rel=”nofollow”> Программист 1С An anecdotal follow-up on Corinne’s post about Minnesota’s efforts to educate its citizens about junk mail scams…….