I've been contacted by one of these guys. What do I do now?

That depends on what has already happened. If you haven't done anything, call the FBI. But if you've accepted a package, shipped merchandise overseas, or anything else the scammer asked you to do, you may want to talk to a criminal defense lawyer first. He can make sure you haven't inadvertently broken the law or, if you have, he can advise you what to do next.

I've already been ripped off. Anything I can do?

See above about talking to a criminal defense lawyer before calling the FBI. Perhaps you have insurance coverage that might apply.

The FCC and Internet Relay providers have let thousands be victimized as you were. They bear moral responsibility for that, but legal responsibility is another matter. To find out more, talk to an attorney who specializes in complex litigation.

I haven't been contacted yet. How do I keep from becoming a victim?

Tips for individuals

• Don't sell to people who can't pick up the items themselves
• Never sell an animal to anyone you haven't met. It's best to meet them at their house when everyone is home and see the environment the animal would be living in.
• Don't accept checks, money orders or cashier's checks from overseas banks
• Don't assume cashier's checks or money orders are good. They are just as easy to forge as personal checks. For large purchases, the best thing to do is go with the buyer to their bank and have them withdraw cash from their account.
• Never wire money to a "shipper" at the buyer's request. If they need a shipper, they need to pay the shipper directly. If they try to involve you in the transaction, you're talking to a scammer.
• Don't play guessing games if you get an anonymous Internet Relay call. Every question you ask gives the caller more information about you. (“Is this my brother, Dave?”) Hang up.

Tips for businesses

• Talk to your merchant account provider about additional security precautions against fraud
• Collect — and verify — name, address (street, city, state and zip), telephone number (with area code) and security code on every credit card transaction over the phone, by fax or email. Call the customer back at the number associated with the credit card and if you can't confirm authorization, don't complete the transaction.
• If one credit card does not go through, allow no more than one additional credit card before terminating the transaction
• If selling overseas is not part of your core business, don't do it
• Don't give out tracking numbers to customers and don't let customers arrange their own shipping. Tell them to contact you if there's a problem with delivery and you will follow up with the shipper.
• Train your employees in fraud prevention

More ways to prevent fraud

Stop Relay Abuse is developing point of sale fraud prevention and employee training materials for large and small businesses. If you are interested in learning more or having customized training for your call center or store employees, please email us at:

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