Protective measures help safeguard against fraud Published Dec. 5, 2008 By 23rd Wing Legal Office MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Each year millions of Americans fall victim to fraud. With a little research some fraudulent activities can be easily detected while others are more difficult to identify. Recently the 23rd Wing Legal Office had a military family defrauded by an online company that promised to transport their vehicle from another state to Georgia. The fraudulent company received the money to transport the vehicle, but did not fulfill the contract and they did not refund the families money. To help prevent this kind of situation from happening, here is a list of simple protective measures to help safeguard against fraud. - Research - Check online for reviews about the company. If comparing companies, chose the one who has been in business for several years and has shown their dependability with a proven track record. If the company is a member of the Better Business Bureau, visit their website at www.bbb.org, to see if there have been any complaints. If the company is selling items through an online auction review the customer satisfaction rating and the types of items they are selling. Be more cautious when buying most expensive purchase items. - Financial protections - Use a credit card or debit card, preferably a credit card, rather than paying with a check, money order or bank draft. Most banks and credit card companies will work with the cardholder if the seller appears to have defrauded the cardholder. In the event a cardholder has been defrauded, the cardholder can file a dispute and request a chargeback. A chargeback can protect the cardholder against fraud, abuse and billing errors. This allows the cardholder to refuse payment for issues including fraudulent use of an account or when the buyer does not receive purchased goods. Credit card companies and banks differ in how they approach this issue so individuals are advised to consult with their companies on what basic protections are offered. This kind of protection should not require purchase of a monthly protection plan from the credit card company or bank. For online purchases, certain companies offer some limited protections for buyers as well. All of these protections have time limits on them, so act quickly and do not hesitate to contact your credit card company or bank if you have questions. - Keep records - It's a good idea to keep records when dealing with large purchase items. Remember to keep contracts, statements and any receipts from the transaction. Save any correspondence sent to the company for reference, if needed. If sending a letter, consider sending it by certified mail in order to verify the intended recipient actually received it. If speaking with individuals from the company, write down detailed information about the phone call to include phone number, day and time of call, name of customer service representative, their employee number, a phone number where they can be reached directly, phone call length and any important details discussed during the phone call. If the customer service representative makes any promises, particularly when it is something favorable, ask them to note the information in their files and send an email detailing what the representative has agreed to. These documents can be brought to the legal office. - If something sounds too good to be true - Then it probably is! Contracts can be reviewed by the legal office with permission from the seller. Don't let yourself be pressured into signing that "once-in-a-lifetime" deal that just happens to expire in five minutes. It is better to be cautious and miss a few good deals rather than get pressured into a bad deal and get burned for it. - Act quickly - Call the legal office as soon as possible if fraud is suspected. Identify if emergency legal assistance is needed and be as specific as possible when explaining the need for legal help. Attorneys are available to provide guidance and assistance on how to proceed if you become a victim of fraud. Contact the 23rd Wing Legal Office at 257-3414 for more information.