Mass Marketing, Mail, Wire, Telephone and Internet Fraud

Resources for Victims 
Related Organizations and Web Sites

Mass Marketing Frauds target individuals of all ages and walks of life. Victims are lured with false promises of significant cash prizes, goods, services, or good works, in exchange for up-front fees, taxes or donations.

Credit and loan fraud includes a variety of scams that target folks applying for credit and dealing with debt. Advance-fee loan scams involve charging an upfront fee to guarantee a credit card or loan before you apply. These offers are illegal and often target people with credit problems. Debt settlement scams include deceptive ads that promise debt relief, when in fact they are offering bankruptcy, and others that promise to negotiate with your creditors but take the money and run.

Mail fraud is an offense under US law, which refers to any scheme which attempts to unlawfully obtain money or valuables in which the postal system is used at any point in the commission of a criminal offense.

Resources for Victims

National Crime Victim Law Institute (NCVLI)

The Responding to Online Fraud Project was launched by NCVLI to provide victim assistance to victims of internet-related fraud and identity theft. Services provided include resource connection, referrals to legal services and education and prevention.

Related Organizations and Web Sites

Delivering Trust

This U.S. Postal Inspection Service web site contains the latest news on fraud schemes and features online videos on each major type of fraud.

Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)

The IC3 is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C), and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). IC3's mission is to serve as a vehicle to receive, develop, and refer criminal complaints regarding the rapidly expanding arena of cyber crime.

U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS)

The mission of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service is to support and protect the U.S. Postal Service and its employees, infrastructure, and customers; enforce the laws that defend the nation’s mail system from illegal or dangerous use; and ensure public trust in the mail.

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