CONSUMER FRAUD

Brenda Procter, M.S., 
University of Missouri-Columbia

	Sadly this time of year is too often the "season for deceiving."  Fraud occurs when a seller of goods or services lies about an important fact or fails to tell the consumer about an important fact. Con artists can commit fraudulent acts against any consumer, but some groups are victimized more frequently than others are.

	Proving fraud, in a legal sense, can be difficult. In general, a consumer is a victim of fraud under the following conditions:

The seller makes a false representation about the product or service (tells a lie).
The seller knows that the supposed "facts" are untrue.
The seller intends to deceive the victim.
The victim actually believes the untruths.
The victim suffers damages by relying on the untruths.
Who is victimized by fraud and why?

	The average scam runs for 90 days or less. For that reason, it is critical that all of us who are victimized react swiftly to fight back. If we don't, the scam artist who defrauded us is long gone with a new scam, under a new name, with new victims. Unfortunately, he also is long gone with our money. He is counting on getting away with it because consumers are embarrassed to admit they were victims and don't complain.

Here are a few tips:

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

Do not be pressured by salespeople into buying it NOW.

Investigate before you invest. If you cannot afford to lose the money you invest, do not do it.

Avoid purchasing goods or services from people, companies, or organizations you do not know (whether in person, by phone, or by mail).

Be skeptical about unsolicited sales calls.

Ask the caller to send information about the company and verify it.

	If you have been conned, the first thing you must do is to act quickly! Contact local and state authorities and file a report. Call the Missouri Attorney General's hotline (1-800-392-8222) and let them know what has happened.  Your report could be the one that ends a scam in your area.