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Keith McCord ReportingIf it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. We've said that, so many times before. Today we have some advice about a scam aimed at your fax machine.
A fax comes with big words at the top: "Great offers"
--Get paid to drive your car;
--Get paid to shop;
--Get paid to eat in restaurants.
Then, in bigger, bolder print it asks, “Should we continue to send these faxes to you? Check Yes or No, and fax it back to us.” The problem is, it's a 900-number.
Lou Bertram received this fax and didn't want to receive any more of them, so he checked the "NO" box and faxed it back.
Lou Bertram: "I thought it was very kind on their part to be so obvious, yes or no, so I didn't think much about it."
Until he received his phone bill.
Lou Bertram: “It was twenty-one dollars and fifty-four cents.” Q-To send one fax?“To send one fax back, declining their very generous offer. I got ripped off!”
He's not the only one. Unsolicited faxes are sent by the millions to people every day, just like e-mail spam. The gotcha on these is the 900-number; they are NOT free.
The Utah Division of Consumer protection works to track down the senders of these faxes, but...
Francine Giani, Div. of Consumer Affairs: "The problem with it is that it's a hard enforcement for us, because in many instances the companies are out of state."
And in this case, out of the country-- the fax came from Canada. The Consumer Affairs office says if you get one of these, throw it away. Otherwise your phone bill will get nailed, like Lou Bertrams'.
Francine Giani, Div. of Consumer Affairs: “The key for us is educating the public and having them not respond to those kinds of things.”
The division of consumer affairs says with spring around the corner, junk faxes will start arriving offering sweet vacation deals, like trips to Disney World for $50. Be careful.
