Mail Scams Ramp Up In Down Economy

Mail Scams

By: Tracey Early | WSPA-TV
Published: February 17, 2012

Upstate --

If you've ever gotten one of those letters in the mail saying you've won a million bucks, you're not alone.

Mail scams are nothing new. But the United States Postal Service says in a down economy, scammers ramp up their efforts to prey on the financially weak.

Kayla Lindsey says she received four suspicious letters just this week. And she admits, she’s gullible.

“I try not to be you know, but I'm honest. And I expect other people to be honest,” said Lindsey.

So when she received a letter in the mail saying she won $1.4 million in prize money for a $20 fee, the mother of two was almost hooked.

“I didn't have the $20 to spend, but I was willing to you know, I'll send you 20, you'll give me a million,” said Lindsey.

Luckily she didn't send in the money, instead she called 7 On Your Side.

We brought one of Lindsey's letters to Tammy Dankovich, Vice President of the Better Business Bureau of the Upstate.

“You can't even find really the company information,” said Dankovich as she looked at the letter. “There's not enough information here for you to really be able to check it out.”

Dankovich says many of these so-called companies disguise themselves as sweepstakes. She says the age-old scams trick new victims by reinventing themselves, making it hard for consumers and investigators to catch.

“They just change names, they change addresses, and it's very difficult, like I told you for investigators to catch up with them because they change so much,” said Dankovich.

The Postal Service says it can only act after a crime has been sent through the mail because it can’t legally examine its content before the mail is sent out. But that’s where you come in.

Dankovich says you can help those investigators by taking the letter to your local Postmaster General, and to never give money to receive it.

“Anytime you have to pay money, that's a red flag right there,” said Dankovich. “And try to google as much information as you can.”

The BBB says other red flags include misspellings in the letter and if you receive it unsolicited.

To report a scam, contact the US Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455. Or you can file a complaint online by clicking here.