The United States mail is supposed to be a way for consumers to send and receive important messages —\u00a0account statements and bills, jury duty notifications, personal correspondence, and more. Unfortunately, \u00a0the mail is also a method for scammers to reach tens of millions of consumers with fraudulent pitches, potentially netting these criminals tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars in illicit profits.<\/p>\n
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In fact, mail fraud has become such a serious threat to consumers that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced a wide-ranging crackdown on mail fraud schemes targeting vulnerable Americans with promises of easy riches and good fortune. The DOJ and its agency and nonprofit partners are also launching a special educational campaign to open consumers\u2019 eyes to the reality of mail fraud.<\/p>\n
In one mail fraud scheme shut down earlier this year<\/a>, scammers in the Netherlands defrauded thousands of consumers in the United States, including many seniors, out of more than $18 million with mailings promising big lottery winnings. All the victims had to do, the scammers promised, was send $15-$55 back to the scammers in pre-addressed envelopes provided by the scammers. In reality, there were no winnings to be gained and the scammers were just out to defraud vulnerable consumers.<\/p>\n Federal law enforcement agents like the DOJ and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) investigate and prosecute these scammers. NCL is proud to be a partner of the DOJ\u2019s efforts to urge consumers to be on the lookout for mass mailing fraud scams. The criminals running these scams are sophisticated and well-versed at making the letters that arrive on consumers\u2019 doorsteps look convincing. However, by following the right advice, consumers can help stop mail fraud before it happens.<\/p>\n\n