MASS MARKETING FRAUD

[Jeffersons Ghost]

Old Scams, New Wineskins

A few decades ago, mass marketing fraud—the kind that exploits mass communication techniques like bulk mail or telemarketing—was relatively low-tech and mostly a regional crime problem targeting victims nearby. These days, it’s a different story. Thanks to the Internet, criminals and crime groups can also target victims halfway around the world, blasting out spam e-mails by the millions and setting up phony but realistic websites to lure people in.

The FBI and its partners—particularly Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Federal Trade Commission, U.S. Secret Service, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service—have been busting these fraudsters for years. But we realize that public awareness must be part of the solution—an educated consumer can stop these scams by not falling for them in the first place.

So today, law enforcement agencies in a number of countries—including the U.S.—are making a concerted effort to get the word out about these schemes. What do you need to know? Mass marketing fraud generally tries to trick you into handing over your hard-earned money or personal information for the promise of future prizes, products, or services that never come. The Department of Justice blog and our mass marketing fraud brochure have more details, but here are some current scams making the rounds:

http://www.fbi.gov/page2/june10/mass_marketing_fraud_060110.html

please keep this kicked up to save our fellow DUers some big-time problems.