Fraud Alerts
Fraud Advisory for Businesses: Corporate Account Take Overs -- What are they and how does it happen?
Be Aware of Common Spring and Summer time Scams:
Work from Home/Reshipping Scams
Reshipping job opportunities appear everywhere. Some ads are placed in newspapers and you can even find listings on Monster.com as well as other well-known job placement websites. When you answer the ad you will be asked to send the reshipping employer your personal information which will need to include your social security number and date of birth. After the employer is sent the required personal information packages will start arriving at your home with instructions on how to repackage and then send the merchandise to specified addresses abroad.
When your payment for repackaging the merchandise arrives it will be in the form of a third party cashier's check which should raise flags since the normal way of doing business is to send a paycheck. These cashier's checks will usually be for more than the amount initially agreed upon and the employer will request that once you have cashed them, please send the overpay back to them electronically to their overseas bank account.
Once you have completed this transaction you have a big problem because before the check clears, the bank will realize that the cashier's check is phony and you will be responsible for the entire amount of that check. To make matters worse, your "employer" also has your personal information and it's a safe bet that they are going to use it to defraud even more unwitting people who will become "employees" of this reshipping scam. You could be in big trouble with the law as well because all of the merchandise that you so faithfully repackaged and sent abroad was purchased with stolen credit cards.
Door to Door Scams
So what should you do if a fast talking, hard selling and seemingly too slick solicitor shows up at your door?
1. Be safe: Ask for identification before you open the door. Never invite the solicitor into your home.
2. Be wary of high pressure sales tactics: A trustworthy company should let you take time to think about the purchase and compare prices before buying or putting down a deposit.
3. Research the company: Visit BBB.org to view the company's BBB Business Review to find out more about their marketplace performance. If you have a smart phone, you can download and use the BBB app to access the company's report while the person is standing at your door, or visit m.bbb.org on your mobile device.
4. Get transaction details in writing: Be sure you receive a contract or receipt explaining the details of your purchase and all the terms and conditions that apply.
5. Remember the "Three-Day Cooling-Off Rule": The Federal Trade Commission's Three-Day Cooling-Off Rule gives consumers three days to cancel purchases of more than $25 that are made in their home or at a location that is not the seller's permanent place of business. Along with a receipt, the salesperson should always provide a cancellation form that can be sent to the company to cancel the purchase within three days. By law, the company must give consumers a refund within 10 days of receiving the cancellation notice.
6. Listen carefully and be aware of high-pressure sales tactics: Some unscrupulous door-to-door sellers will put pressure on you to close the deal at that moment, and even make special offers to entice you. Listen to their tone. Are they increasing in volume as they speak to you? Are they ignoring you despite saying you are not interested? Find a way to end the conversation quickly to avoid long, drawn-out sales pitches.
7. Stand strong: If you do allow a salesperson inside and decide during the presentation that you are not interested in making a purchase, simply ask him or her to leave. If the salesperson refuses to leave, threaten to call the police, and follow through if they don't leave immediately.
