Hot Topics- August 2009

1. Amnesty Financial’s website claims consumers can receive a $1500 loan within 24 hours. The Central Indiana Better Business Bureau has received complaints from consumers across the country alleging that after they submitted personal information, they received an unauthorized debit to their bank account in the amount of $33.98. Consumers say they were simply trying to obtain information on a pay day loan, and upon contacting the company to dispute the charges, are informed that they have enrolled in an identity theft protection program. Consumers allege there was no notice their accounts would be automatically debited or that they were enrolling in a separate program. Consumers allege difficulty obtaining a refund after following the company’s instructions to obtain a refund. After receiving returned mail in an attempt to contact the company, the BBB has verified the company is NOT at the address listed in Indianapolis. The BBB has also discovered this company has posted the Better Business Bureau logo on their website. This company is NOT a BBB accredited business. Using the BBB logo, or any references thereto, without the explicit permission of the BBB is in violation of a federally-registered trademark and also constitutes deceptive advertising. Use of the BBB logo without being a BBB-accredited business is a direct intent to mislead the public.

2. Ace Employment Services, Mystery Shopping, and Paid Surveys of Dayton, OH sent an Indianapolis consumer a check for $2700. The consumer contacted the company to see what it was for. The company representative told her she was selected to do some mystery shopping for their company, and she would get paid. She was instructed to deposit the check into her own personal account, then visit a Western Union and wire $2100 to an individual in Canada. When the consumer asked the purpose of doing this, the company told her it was to evaluate the efficiency of Western Union’s service. Problem? These checks are typically fraudulent checks that are written on stolen bank account information. The person who cashes the check winds up paying back every penny and then some in most cases. This scheme continues to be the #1 call the BBB receives. If you, or someone you know, receive a check offering a work-at-home business opportunity, a prize with a check to pay for processing fees, up front taxes, etc., immediately contact the United States Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455.

3. Telecommunication Relay Services (TRS) are used to assist individuals with hearing or speech impairments for communicating over the telephone. Under Title IV of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), all telephone companies must provide free relay service. At first, these relay services were typically through standard phone services, but with the advent of the personal computer and the internet, these services have broadened the ability to its users… and opened the door for fraud. Businesses may receive a relay call where both the relay operator and the business have no idea that the “caller” is really a scam artist. Recent reports indicate the scheme is heavily targeting the auto repair industry. For example, a business receives a relay call. The “caller” claims he is going to have a vehicle shipped to the business for repair and wants to charge the shipping fee to a credit card. Unbeknownst to the business, the credit card number is stolen. The charges typically go through without complications. The business is then directed to wire the money to the customer to help cover shipping costs. It is not until the shipper’s money is wired that the business is notified of the fraudulent credit card, leaving the business to bear the loss. If your business has been a victim of this activity, you can file complaints with both the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov or the FBI’s Internet Crime Unit (IC3) at www.ics.gov.

4. Ever wonder what to do with all of those pesky spam/junk e-mails you get such as “You are the winner of this, that and the other”… or “I am an attorney for your late great, great uncle who has recently passed away and left you millions?”
Forward them! Not to your friends and family, but to the Federal Trade Commission. Unsolicited and scam spam can be forwarded to Spam@uce.gov.

5. Are you on the Do Not Call Registry? If you want to eliminate the risk of being contacted by someone who wants to sell you something you don’t want,potentially having your identity stolen or your bank and credit card accounts drained, or to simply eat your dinner without the interruption of all of those unsolicited calls, register your telephone number on the Indiana Telephone Privacy Registry at www.in.gov/attorneygeneral/consumer/telephone/ or call (317) 232-6201 or toll free in Indiana 1-800-382-5516. You may also register on the National Do Not Call Registry at www.ftc.gov or by calling 1-888-382-1222.
Most telemarketers are forbidden from calling numbers on the Do Not Call list; however, there are exemptions such as licensed insurance agents, licensed real estate agents, charitable organizations and newspapers.



Want to report a potential scam or alert the BBB of unethical business practices?
Send us an e-mail to info@indybbb.org.