Hot Merchandise Scam

"Hot" Merchandise Scam

Another scam making its way around is the "hot" merchandise scam. In this one, victims are asked to agree to have some merchandise sent to their residence. The reason given is usually that the person ordering the stuff is in transit or because he is ordering a gift for someone who lives with him and he wants to keep it a secret. The victim is usually offered some money in exchange for the service.

The scam is that the merchandise is often purchased with bad checks or stolen credit cards. The thieves will come to your house, collect their stuff from you, and then disappear.

Although you may in fact get paid for your service, the paper trail of the ill-gotten gains leads the authorities to your door, leaving you to explain what happened. Oh, and by the way, if you notify the authorities after you have been hit, these people now know where you live. Also, good luck cashing that check they gave you. It is probably about as good as the credit cards they used.