Package Scam Hits Robertson County

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Package Scam Hits Robertson County

ROBERTSON COUNTY TENNESSEE: (Smokey Barn News) – According to Colorado based NBC News, a nationwide package scam has made its way to Robertson County Tennessee.

According to NBC News, the scam starts when you receive a package for something you never ordered and ends with calls and letters from collection agencies demanding money and a potential black mark on your credit report.

Here’s the layout of the scam: A package containing something you didn’t order is mailed to your home and addressed to you. Naturally, once you realize the package was meant for someone else, you feel obligated to return it, so you write “return to sender” and give it back to the postal service.

But then – three months later – you’ll get a notice from a collection agency saying you owe them $139.97 for “not returning the package in a timely manner,” according to NBC News.

Even if you did everything right; inform the police and return the package, three months later,  letters from collection agencies will start.

Research will likely reveal that the company has had thousands of complaints filed against them on-line but their reputation won’t stop the company from hiring very real collection agencies.

According to NBC News the scam has appeared in Seattle; Philadelphia; White House, Tennessee; Passadumkeag, Maine; Florida; New York; Georgia and even California.

According to the Federal Trade Commission’s website, if you receive merchandise that you didn’t order you have a legal right to keep it as a free gift. If you want, you can offer to send the package back if they pay for shipping but there’s no law forcing you to do so.

How do you reduce your risk of being a victim of this type of scam? The Federal Trade Commission says be cautious when participating in sweepstakes and ordering items advertised as free or that have a price tag that seems to good to be true, and always read the fine print.

If it happens to me what do I do? Try to resolve your dispute with the company. If that fails, contact the police because sending unsolicited products to people and demanding payment is a criminal matter. You can also contact your state or local consumer protection office, local U.S. Postal Inspector, or the Better Business Bureau in your area for help.

Regardless of what action you take after receiving a scam package, you will likely still get calls and letters from collection agencies. Having proof that you reported it to police and made an offer to ship the package back might help you clean up your credit history later on.

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