BEWARE OF INTERNET AUCTION SCAM
Crooks use fake USPS logo to dupe sellers
There’s an ongoing Internet auction scam in town, and its purveyors are using the logo of one of the most trusted organizations in America — the Postal Service!
The scam goes like this: The winning bidder of an Internet auction sends the seller a fraudulent authorization letter or e-mail bearing the USPS logo stating the Postal Money Order or other payment they are about to receive is authentic. The seller then receives a counterfeit Postal Money Order — or other fraudulent financial instrument, such as a bad check — as payment. The winning bidder then gets the merchandise without actually paying for it.
The letters may use deceptive terms such as Money OrderSM or Signature Confirmation and a sham e-mail address such as
[email protected] as reference.
By using the USPS brand to create an appearance of authenticity, the letters attempt to dupe consumers and banks into negotiating counterfeit money orders or other fake products.
The Postal Service never sends authorization letters to customers. And genuine Postal Money Orders have security features that protect your investment. More information on Postal Money Orders is available at
http://www.usps.com/missingmoneyorders/security.htm.
Forewarned is forearmed. Let your friends and customers know about this scam.