Denver Post Office & Postal Inspectors to host consumer fraud prevention & awareness events on March 12-14

DENVER, CO — The Denver Post Office and Postal Inspectors will draw attention to fake check schemes and other scams by hosting Consumer Fraud Prevention Events March 12-14 at the following locations:

• March 12 – noon to 2 p.m., Downtown Post Office Main Lobby, 951 20th St., Denver
• March 13 – 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Westland Meridian Retirement Community, 10695 W. 17th Ave., Lakewood
• March 14 – 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., Montview Manor, 1663 Steele Street, Denver

Postal Inspector Richard Sheehan will be on hand to educate consumers about identity theft issues and fraudulent schemes such as fake check frauds, one of the fastest growing areas of fraudulent crime, according to the FBI. Since January 2007, Postal inspectors and their law enforcement partners worldwide have seized more than 600,000 fake checks with a value of about $2.5 billion. Postal staff will be available to distribute consumer fraud and identity theft prevention information.

Postal officials say consumers can take steps to protect themselves against becoming victims of fake checks, phony money orders, and various other financial frauds. The best way is to be aware of such scams as foreign business offers, sudden riches, work-at-home schemes; love losses; phony lottery and sweepstakes contests, overpayments and rental schemes. “The old adage still holds true: If someone offers you a deal that sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” said Denver Postmaster Alan Catlin.

At the consumer awareness events, the Post Office will also provide key information to guard against identity theft and mail theft, which makes up less than two percent of all identity theft crimes, according to a recent Federal Trade Commission (FTC) survey. According to the FTC, most identity theft occurs through online and in person commercial transactions, or after theft of a wallet, purse or personal identification belongings, or when an acquaintance or family member misuses personal information.

The Postal Service and the FTC offer the following tips to help protect against identity theft:

• Check credit card statements, bank and financial reports every month for unauthorized activity.
• Protect Social Security numbers. Don’t carry SS cards in wallets or write the number on a check.
• Don’t provide personal information over the phone or the Internet.
• Never click on links sent in unsolicited e-mail messages.

More information on protecting yourself against consumer fraud and identity theft can be found at these websites: www.FakeChecks.org; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at http://postalinspectors.uspis.gov; The Federal Trade Commission at www.consumer.gov/theft.