Buyers' Protection: What To Do

[RaverChankoMX3]

Buyer’s Actions Against Mail Fraud.

Step-by-step solution:

1.) Organize all information:
• Conversation(s)
o E-mail
o MX-3 UBB
o AOL Instant Messenger
o Police Report / Case Number
o Lawyer’s Letter(s)
o Miscellaneous
• Financial Agreement
o Price asked
o Price paid
o Dates
• Transaction(s)
o Dates
o Amount
o Receipt(s)
• Additional Victims?
o Contact information
o Written statement
o Miscellaneous
• Failed Attempts
o All material at attempts to retrieve money personally
• Miscellaneous
o Any other pertinent information

2.) Mail Fraud is a Federal offense.

U.S. Jurisdiction & Laws:
http://www.usps.com/websites/depart/inspect/jurislaw.htm

Mail Fraud (18 USC 1341, 1342 & 1345; 39 USC 3005 & 3007)

The Postal Inspection Service is committed to protecting postal customers from misuse of the mail. Inspectors place special emphasis on mail fraud scams related to advance fees, boiler rooms, health care, insurance, investments, deceptive mailings and other consumer frauds, especially when they target the elderly or other susceptible groups.

Electronic Crimes (18 USC 1029, 1030, 1343 & 2701)

Inspectors protect postal customers from fraud schemes and other crimes that may occur online and involve the misuse of the mail or of the Postal Service. This includes using or selling stolen or counterfeit access devices, such as credit card numbers; using protected computers without proper authority or exceeding authorized access; using computer communications in a scheme to defraud; and unauthorized access to communications that are stored electronically via a communications service.

File complaints with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and The US Postal Office. FTC is co-joined with the F.B.I. and the Secret Service, so they will (should) follow up the complaint. The U.S. Postal Inspection deals with complaints based on volume and patterns.

FTC Complaint Form:
https://rn.ftc.gov/pls/dod/wsolcq$.startup?Z_ORG_CODE=PU01
Phone: 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357)
Mailing Address:
Federal Trade Commission
CRC-240
Washington, D.C. 20580
US Postal Inspection Service Complaint Form:
https://www.usps.com/postalinspectors/fraud/MailFraudComplaint.htm

Phone: (Local Postal Inspector)

Mailing Address:

Inspection Service Operations Support Group
ATTN: MAIL FRAUD
STE 1250
222 S Riverside Plaza
Chicago, IL 60606-6100

3.) Report your complaint:

Authorities:
• Post Office’s Postmaster
• Local Police
o Detective
o Officer
• Scammer’s Local Police
• Local Solicitor
• Lawyer
• Miscellaneous

Your local Post Office will have a Postmaster available to speak with about your mail fraud complaint and offer guidance. Another important place to file a complaint is your district police station. Ask to speak to a detective or an officer about your complaint and explain the situation. Then, inform the officer of the circumstances you would like to present to the scammer. Next, have the officer contact the scammer to dictate the conditions and the ultimatum. Do not forget to have the officer write a report stating: that you were at the police station, this specific officer called this specific person on X/X/Xxxx, what was said, case number, and the final agreement. Additionally, see if the officer will contact the scammer’s local police informing them of the situation. Other important and possible authorities to contact are your local solicitor and lawyer. Inform any other parties that were involved with the fraud. For example, if Pay-Pal was used for the transaction they should be informed of fraudulent activities of a member.

4.) Additional Information:

Skepticism is the best prevention against having mail fraud committed against you. There is a certain risk when money is exchanged and because that risk exists, you should safeguard yourself as best as possible. Validating the seller’s current address, phone number, and authenticity of the product(s) being sold is key. It is helpful to ask questions about the product as-well-as feedback from previous buyers. Be cautious of sellers who seem vague, distant, and quick to sell. The adage, “If it’s too good to be true, it usually is” holds much truth. My personal experience with mail fraud could have been avoided if I had been skeptical and had taken more precaution. However, my excitement for the great deal overdid my rational judgment, leaving me with only a valuable lesson learned.

5.) Personal Account:

I am sharing this account to help guide and possibly save someone from encountering the uncalled for conditions circumnavigating mail fraud. This narrative is a revised and pithy recollection.

I was purchasing Mazdaspeed Adjustable Struts from a seller in New York. After I had sent two transactions completing the sale, another member interested in the same MS struts as myself contacted me. The seller told the member that I had not paid nor was I interested in the MS struts. I investigated that statement (being totally incorrect) only to reveal that the seller had been caught in his lies. I was dealing with a scammer. I began searching the MX-3 UBB forums to discover three other members whom which had also been scammed by the same person.

I sent out an e-mail from two separate accounts informing the seller what my demands were before I took it to the authorities within forty-eight hours. After the allotted time with no response, I then pursued my original claim by contacting all the aforementioned authorities. The first thing I did was to collection all information. I had roughly thirty pages of printed material including (but not limited to) receipts of transactions, conversations, and contact information of the other victims. My next goal was to report the mail fraud to the US Postal and the Federal Trade Commission. Since my transactions were made via Pay-Pay I also filed a complaint with them.

My best results came when I filed a complaint with the local police. I asked to speak with a detective or an officer about my situation. Soon later, I was in conference with an officer. I explained him my situation and from there we made the best plan of action. The officer then contacted the seller over the phone. We then came to an agreement on both sides. Lastly, I had a printout reference stating all the information that occurred during that day.

What should I/you do after this agreement? If the seller has not complied with the aforesaid agreement, contact the officer and your lawyer. Mail fraud is a federal offense and can be prosecuted.

[Taras]

And this one is a good start for Internet Fraud:
http://www.ifccfbi.gov/cf1.asp

[DavidOS]

it was almost like yesterday i was dealing with all those people:)

[greek606]

I wish I read this before. I didn't even think about the transaction being mailfraud. Thanks for the info. I'm going to give Sean Mandell a chance to call or email until the the weekend. Then I'll pursue your suggestions.