|
WASHINGTON,
DC
–
Statistics from the National Consumers League’s Fraud Center
show that con artists are increasingly using money transfer
services to obtain payment from victims in telemarketing and
Internet scams. As the March tips in NCL’s “2007 Scam-Free
Calendar”
explain,
this method of payment is popular with crooks because it’s fast
and they can pick up the money in cash, making it difficult to
track them down.
No matter what the pitch is, if someone you don’t know asks
you to send payment through a money transfer service, NCL says
don’t do it.
The nation’s oldest nonprofit consumer advocacy organization,
NCL works to educate consumers about how to avoid rip-offs and
make wise decisions in today’s marketplace.
Each month this year, the home page
on NCL’s
www.fraud.org Web site features
the 2007 Scam-Free Calendar and
the
tips for the month. Covering a range of subjects from how to
avoid identity thieves “phishing” for your personal information
to how to invest wisely, the tips are sponsored by major
companies, government agencies, and organizations.
Western
Union
sponsored
March's
tips on money transfer services.
All of the calendar tips are archived
at
www.fraud.org/calendar,
along with a “Resources for Consumers” page that provides
contact information for government agencies, consumer groups,
and calendar sponsors.
The print version
of the calendar
was distributed
free of charge
through agencies and
organizations around the country that work directly with
individuals in their communities. “Our
goal is to help consumers learn to recognize the danger signs of
fraud through a calendar that they will use every day,” said
Susan Grant, Director of NCL’s Fraud Center.
There are no printed copies of the
calendar remaining. |
