A Scam to Watch Out For

It Goes Like This

You make a purchase, via email, internet, mail order, telephone sales, it doesn't matter so long as the product you order will be delivered and you don't actually enter a store.

For this to work the scammer is usually offering a product that you might be embarrassed to purchase personally, an adult product for instance.

It is usually pretty cheap; say $5 or $10 as you are less likely to follow up on a cheap purchase.

Shortly after you place the order and have paid you receive a letter or an email to tell you; “Sorry, but the product you ordered is out of stock so we are sending you a refund cheque in the mail.”

Sure enough you get your refund cheque and it is made out to you for the correct amount.

Here is the scam; The cheque will be from a company with a name that would really embarrass you if you fronted up to the bank with it. Something like “The Giant Dildo Company”, or “Transvestites United”, in big writing on the cheque face.

You get the idea… they are counting on you being too embarrassed to cash it. After all, it is only $5 or $10. If you do cash the cheque the scammer has lost nothing. If you don't, they have made a few bucks.

The moral to this story is to make sure you check the business name, which may be quite different to the trading name, of whoever you deal with and read their refund policy.

Remember, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.