1.   I received a letter from a foreign country telling me I won millions of dollars in the lottery, how do I know if it’s real?

Remember, if it sounds too good, it probably is. This definitely applies to foreign lottery scams. Con artists make up reasons for why you need to wire them money, i.e., taxes, special courier, etc., or why you should give them your banking information. The criminal is certainly not planning on making a deposit, just a withdrawal of your savings. It is illegal to participate in a foreign lottery and if you did receive a letter, report this to the United States Postal Inspection Service Office.

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2.   I received a solicitation (fax, letter, or email) from Nigeria offering to transfer millions of dollars into my bank account. Who should I report this to?

This is a scam, known as the Nigerian 4-1-9 Fraud Scam, and you should:

Contact the United States Postal Inspection Service Office If the letter arrived in the mail.

Otherwise, notify the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov . The IC3 is an alliance between the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). IC3 provides an analytical repository for Internet crime complaints. IC3 analyzes and refers all fraudulent activity identified on the Internet to appropriate local, state, and federal law enforcement authority. To file an internet crime complaint, visit the IC3 website.

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3.   Are pyramid schemes Illegal?

Pyramid or Ponzi schemes require recruitment of members rather than the sale of goods and services. For a fee, the scheme requires you to recruit other members into the scheme while promising huge payoffs. They are illegal schemes designed to defraud.

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4.   Help! I hired a contractor who did not complete, or even start work on my house. Where can I file a complaint?

Contractor complaints should be submitted to the Contractor’s State Licensing Board. Visit the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation at www.myfloridalicense.com/dbpr .

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5.   I hired a handyman to paint the exterior of my home for $3000. The handyman stated he did not need to be licensed through the Contractors State Licensing Board since he was going to bill me by the hour. Does he need a License?

Yes, Visit the Lee County Tax Collector’s website at www.leetc.com for information concerning professional business licensing, and the Lee County Web site for permitting issues at www.lee-county.com or in Cape Coral, the City of Cape Coral website at www.capecoral.net/ .

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6.   I was the winning bid on an Internet auction site. I sent the seller a money order for the item, but never received it. Where can I go to file a complaint?

Internet auction fraud can be reported by filing a complaint on line with the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov . The IC3 is an alliance between the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). IC3 provides an analytical repository for Internet Crime Complaints. IC3 analyzes and refers all fraudulent activity identified on the Internet to appropriate local, state, and federal law enforcement authority. To file an Internet crime complaint, visit the IC3 website.

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7.   I read an ad in the local news paper offering guaranteed loans if I paid $750 in loan fees in advance. Should I be concerned about this offer?

Yes, you have just encountered advertisement for an advance fee loan scam and the party offering the loan is a criminal. You will be instructed to complete and return by fax, a loan application which requires you to divulge your personal identifying and financial information. It may also require you to send copies of your driver’s license and social security card. After the criminal has obtained all of your information, they will request that you wire the $750 to them. The criminal has just stolen $750 and your identity simultaneously. If you suffer a loss, the crime should be reported to your local law enforcement office.

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8.   How does an identity theft criminal get your information?

The methods a criminal may use to obtain your personal identification are as varied as the victims themselves and while there is never a guarantee of not becoming a victim, there are certain steps one can take to greatly reduce the danger. While identity theft criminals have developed many ways of gaining access to your personal information and are continuing to come up with new ideas all of the time, the most widely methods used are still the easiest ones to block which can make prevention easier. Below is a list of the most widely-used methods an identity theft criminal will use to gain access to your personal information.

Dumpster Diving: A criminal digs through trash, hoping to find discarded items such as credit card bills, bank account statements, and other mail which may include sensitive personal information.

Skimming: The criminal sets up a special storage device that captures your credit card information when making a purchase.

Phishing: This is a newer technique that became available with the advent of the Internet and e-mail. A criminal pretends to be a representative of a financial institution and will send e-mails stating that your account appears to have been compromised and lead you to a website where you can straighten things out. This is a scam and you will be asked to verify certain personal information that the thief should not have.

Pretexting: Once a criminal already has some of your information, they will contact your bank or creditors and using a bogus excuse will persuade the institution to supply additional information to them.

Physical stealing: This is the oldest method around and is just as it sounds. A criminal will simply steal omebody’s wallet or purse to see if any sensitive information can be obtained.

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9.   I believe I may have been a victim of identity theft, who do I call?

File a report with law enforcement officials to help you with creditors who may want proof of a crime.

Report the theft to the Federal Trade Commission:

Online: ftc.gov/idtheft
By phone: 1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338), or TTY 1-866-653-4261
By mail: Identity Theft Clearinghouse
Federal Trade Commission
600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20580

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10.   Whom do I notify of spam and phishing e-mails?

Forward unsolicited commercial e-mail (spam), including phishing messages, directly to the FTC at spam@uce.gov . These messages will be stored in a database law enforcement agencies use in their investigations

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11.   How do I reduce the number of phone calls I receive from telemarketers?

Register with the National Do Not Call Registry by calling (888) 382-1222, or visit the website at www.donotcall.gov. If you continue to receive calls after being registered, complaints can be filed at the Do Not Call web site or with the Federal Trade Commission. Visit the FTC website at www.ftc.gov or call (877) 382-4357.

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12.   How do I opt out of mailing lists?

Call 1-888-567-8688, or visit the Opt-Out web site at http://opt-out.cdt.org .

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