The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has already received calls about a check received from the Federal Trade Commission, (FTC).
“We constantly warn the public to beware of fake checks received in the mail, some of which fraudulently use familiar names of real companies and organizations to gain the trust of recipients,” said Jim Hegarty, president and CEO of the BBB. “So it’s no wonder people are verifying first before cashing the check.”
Luckily, this check is not, in fact, fake or fraudulent and has been sent to 34,130 consumers from the FTC. According to the FTC, each check is a refund in the amount of $17.89 and is being sent to customers who were deceived into buying “Ab Force” electronic stimulation devices. The FTC says that advertisements for these devices falsely claimed they could help people lose weight.
To avoid being a victim of fraud, it is important to remember that the FTC never requires that money be paid up front, additional information to be provided before consumers can cash their refund checks.
To see the FTC’s entire news release, click here: http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2010/11/telebrands.shtm.
