The U.S. Postal Service provides guidelines on how to avoid fraud:

Warning Signs

  • Sounds too good to be true.
  • Pressures you to act “right away.”
  • Guarantees success.
  • Promises unusually high returns.
  • Requires an upfront investment –even for a free prize.
  • Buyers want to overpay you for an item and have you send them the difference.
  • Doesn’t have the look of a real business.
  • Something just doesn’t feel right. 

Play It Safe

  • Never click on a link inside an e-mail to visit a Web site.  Type the address into your browser instead.
  • If you have any doubts about a company’s legitimacy, verify them with the Better Business Bureau.
  • Report online fraud to the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov/complaint .
  • Retain and review your receipts and statements for accuracy.
  • Shred confidential documents instead of discarding them in the trash.

Fraud Facts

  • Your bank will never e-mail or call you for your account number.
  • Don’t wire money to people you don’t know.
  • Be cautious of work-at-home job offers.
  • There are no legitimate jobs that involve reshipping items or financial instruments from your home.
  • Foreign lotteries are illegal in the U.S.  You can’t win no matter what they say.
  • Check your monthly bank statements for charges you don’t recognize.
  • Order a copy of your credit report once a year from annualcreditreport.com .