Don't fall for this scam that comes in the mail
 

Don't fall for a gold envelope with a letter and a black pull tab and scratch off in it that says you are a finalist for a 2017 Toyota Prius Hybrid Hybrid Giveaway. This comes in the mail. I got one today and it looks very convincing. I saw that it came from PVS LLC and did some research. Here's a link to the scammer's info. There is a picture of the envelope in this link.

Marketing by Deception (Once Again) | Playing in the World Game

Yeah, I called them (expecting that it was a come-on). Script-reading guy started the spiel...I interrupted, asking if I have to come and listen to a sales spiel (presumably a timeshare)? "Yes," he said. To which I politely said, "Good bye!"
Same ol', same ol!

Scratch-offs in the mail are always winners. Recipients who follow up on them, not so much.

The terms & conditions on the back confirm that it is a travel package promotion, just like the scam phone calls.

I enjoy opening these, scratching off the seal to reveal the number that I already know will be a winner, then I promptly throw in the trash, oops, sorry, the recycling.....

I received one today. Ripped the plastic thingy off, and recycled the rest. When I can't find the company name easily, it is junk.

Most of mine come with a dead battery in the thingie, so I don't know if I'm a winner or not.

How would the USPS survive financially if it wasn't for these mailings? As most of us no doubt, about 3/4 of the stuff in our box is 'junk mail'. You name it, they send it. If 'they' get one bite from 250, and able to close and get $$$, it pays for the 249 that end up in the trash.

I especially hate those huge cardboardy 12"x15" shiny mailings from the car dealers - some include a key that "could fit" a brand new car - stop in and try!!!! I won't bore you with the rest of the junk we all get. My gripe is that most of it has our names and address, so don't simply pitch it right at the postal depot - have to sort thru at home for that one piece of REAL mail. And recycle the rest after tearing off our info... And, yes there are the times when one envelope appears so authentic and urgent and important, that I open....and....yep, JUNK.

And don't get me started on marketing junk phone calls. Thankfully, able to screen those easily. But still - irritating. I decided to 'sponsor' a Central American child starting years ago with credible agency - Child Fund. Makes me feel good that one kid is -hopefully- is helped a bit with some $$ I can easily afford. However I get the usual mailing each month or so asking for more $$$. But, for the last month or so, almost every afternoon we get a phone call from "ChildFund" - goes unanswered and no voicemail. I'm certain they want to ask for $$$. Do not want to answer as that would confirm our #. I plan to write to them and threaten to quit if this wasteful marketing doesn't halt. Probably won't matter - it's the 250 to 1 hit rate thing...

Interesting post .......... the highlighted sentence really brings to ones attention the abuse you get when you do support a charity. They are NEVER satisfied, does not matter what you send it is NEVER enough, which is why we no longer provide help to many organizations that we would like to help. We now give mainly to the Salvation Army in cash, and once a year by check.

Ever notice all these places want $19 per month? Funny how supporting a wounded vet, child or animal cost the same.

I recently received one of these mailings and after scratching it off...found out that I had won! :MOJE_whot:


After sending a check for $2,357.62 for administration costs...my new free Samsung refrigerator should be here soon.




:D

We send a contribution to St Jude Children's hospital once or twice a year. We now get a request mailer every week.

How about this email I received the other day.

"Hello Sir,

My name is Oras Ghazi Ali Albareh, I served Late Col. Muammar Gaddafi as underground intelligent officer before the Libya crisis, I am sending you this message in respect of a two-trunk boxes deposited in a private security vault under the command of my late Col. Muammar Gaddafi before the uprising gained grand.

The two-trunk boxes contain United States Dollars currency and each trunk box contain undisclosed amount worth Seventeen Million Dollars.

All the documents about this deposit are fully secured in my control, I need your support to take ownership of this deposit and process the assets for a productive investment under your strict supervision.

I personally made this deposit and I will be giving you more information as soon as you respond, but please can you promised my safety with all this information am about to release to you on this transaction?

Kindy respond by email.

Thanks

Oras Ghazi Ali Albareh"

Should I respond? :icon_wink:

Is it possible in Florida to ask the postal service to not deliver junk mail to a postal box?
I'd call the post office and ask, but the phone always rings busy.

Absolutely you should contact him...you could become rich!! :a040:

First though, ask him if "each trunk box contain undisclosed amount"... how does he know they are "worth Seventeen Million Dollars?" :D

Good luck. :thumbup:

My GF Phyllis - her 92YO father passed away almost 3 years ago.
Even now, his mail is forwarded to our TV address. He had a great heart and gave to many charities. And, he (we now) receive at least 2 mailings each week - to his name - from various charities, no doubt asking for $$$.

OhioBuckeye
 

JNIEMAN, not picking on you, but I thought everybody knew that these flyers were something to get you in their showroom so some slick salesman could give you some BS sales pitch. Also just look at the return address, it probably say BULK MAIL, that means everybody is getting it too. I get them from a Ford Dealership too, saying their in short demand of certain yr. auto which just happens to be what I've got. The flyer says that they'll give me $17,000. trade in for my 5 yr. old car which has over 100,000 mi. on it. I can gaurantee you I might get 3 to $5,000. trade in but once they get you there it's high pressure time. JNIEMAN, throw all of your flyers into file 13 right there in that big round white file. Remember if they want to give you something & you think it's to good to be true, believe me, IT IS! :thumbup: :thumbup:

I sometimes take my junk mail and put it in another junk mail stamped return envelope and mail it. FWIW it makes me smile.
Bob

I had this problem when my aunt in Toronto, Canada, passed away. When there was a postage-paid return envelope available, I wrote "DECEASED" across the donation card, put the card in the envelope, and dropped the whole thing in the mail. This worked wonders on reducing the amount of junk mail. After about six months, all the junk mail was gone. Try it.

She has done that, but still getting some - he did give to a lot of places with their hands out...
Or maybe they think the "giving genes" passed onto her...

Same here except I'm getting a Samsung Washer and Dryer! :pepper2:

Thanks for the tip ! :1rotfl:

I'll trade you my new Jeep for your W & D.:MOJE_whot::1rotfl:

OhioBuckeye
 

I've heard of people doing that! I did it a couple of times but it didn't detour them a bit, I still got garbage from them. Right now emails are worse!

This particular one was not from a car dealer offering a huge amount for my trade in.

If you click the link and read it you can see that. It was a sweepstakes saying that you may have won an automobile. It also had a little mini lightbox attached and if you pull the tab it lights up with a series of numbers flashing in red. Then if that number matches the winning number posted (which it will) then you have won.

Yes I normally throw them away and have never fallen for a scam either in the mail or on my computer. I knew it was a scam after reading it and looking up the company on line, but wanted to warn my fellow seniors.

Some seniors are not as alert to this type of thing and I put out the warning because I wanted to help them. I could see it was bulk mail and knew that other Villages seniors received this also. Some people especially those who grew up before all of this deception began cannot always spot a fraud like this. A friend of mine's mother fell for something similar to this and they cleaned out her bank account.

So many times I have read in the news of a senior being a victim to a mail or email scam. Just alerting my fellow citizen.

I have received several letters asking me to extend my car warranty from Toyota when my car was under warranty. I call the Toyota dealership and they told me it wasn't sent by them, so it went to the round file.

I received another bogus letter after my car was out of warranty. :shrug:

I had thought of giving the letter to Crimes Against Seniors but it just was easier to just throw it away.

These people never stop trying to scam people!!!

I also don't like charities that after you give a donation, you are deluged with request to give more. I think they should give the option for an ongoing donation and stop bothering people with numerous requests.

In other words, "leave me the he$$ alone"!!!

BTW - It puts a smile on my face they are wasting their time and resources. No wonder most of the charities spend the bulk of money on their administrative fees instead of giving it to the people who really need help.

I got mine in the mail today. Yes, it does say it is a timeshare deal and requires a 90 minute presentation. I liked the odds of winning. The odds of getting the "7 night cruise" is 239,997:240,000. Of course, you have to pay an activation fee, deposit, port charges, taxes.

Whoopie!! My ship has come in!

Dagnabit...now you're thinking! :oops:

You're getting two things...and I was only getting one.


No worry though, I just called and for a small change fee of $973.26....I can get the washer and dryer instead.

Thanks for the good idea. :thumbup:

At least you get some satisfaction knowing you caused them to spend some money on postage.