When you get a solicitation by mail, fax or email  that promises...

"You are a guaranteed winner of one of  five valuable prizes!

"You have been selected to receive a fabulous vacation!"

Defend Yourself!

• Don't pay for a free gift.
• If an offer asks for money in advance to claim a prize or enter a contest, don't send it.
• If a solicitation looks like a government document, pitch it. The government doesn't solicit.
• If you receive an unsoliceited check in the mail, read the front and back carefully. By cashing the check, you may be agreeing to be billed monthly for something you don't want or need.
• Document your transactions, and keep the envelopes. They are proof that the mails were used for fraudulent solicitations.
• Never give out your credit card or bank account numbers in response to mail from an organization you don't know.
• Check out the organization with the Attorney General or Better Business Bureau in your state or the state where the organization is located before you send any money for any product or service. This is not foolproof: there may be no record of complaints if an organization is too new or has changed its name.

To File Complaints
If you think you've been scammed by a mailbox bandit, contact:

• Federal Trade Commission. You can file a complaint with the FTC online; by telephone: toll-free 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357); or by mail: Consumer Response Center, Federal Trade Commission, Washington, D.C. 20580.
• U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Mail Fraud Complaint Center at 1-800-372-8347.

Publications & Resources
Facts For Consumers: Catch the Bandit In Your Mailbox
Consumer Alert! How to Catch the Bandit In Your Mailbox
Business Alert! When Yellow Pages Invoices Are Bogus
Press Release: Catch the Bandit In Your Mailbox 01/05/01

Revised: 01/24/2002