Postal Scams Targeting Older Adults

WINK-TV in Fort Myers Florida reports, "It's not just checks and money orders that the Postal Inspectors are stopping. They're also identifying and stopping something called the 'shipping scam.' That's where a crook uses a stolen credit card and buys legitimate products. He then ships those items to you to so you can put on a new mailing label, which is usually counterfeit, and send it out. That way the crook doesn't get caught, but winds up with the merchandise in the end. The Inspectors catch these products before heading overseas and send them back to the stores."

U.S. Postal Inspector Joe Gonzalez  (shown above) is quoted as saying, ""In that scheme alone, so far this year, we've intercepted over 671 packages going outside of the country. In postage alone, in counterfeit U.S. Postal Service postage alone, there's close to $100,000 worth of counterfeit postage that we've identified."

According to the report, Postal Inspectors say scam artists typically target people 70-years or older. They urge younger people to talk to their parents and grandparents about being careful with checks, merchandise and winning lottery announcements that arrive unexpectedly in the mail.
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