BEFORE
YOU REPORT MAIL
FRAUD:
Do not contact
the authorities
or
WriteAPrisoner.com
if you intend to
use this as a
form of revenge
against someone,
or you may find
yourself facing
charges for
making a false
report. If you
are unwilling or
unable to
provide the
requested
information for
authorities or
WriteAPrisoner.com
to verify inmate
mail fraud, we cannot
help you. There
is too much at
stake to simply
take someone's
word regarding
charges of
illegal
activity. You
must provide
proof in the
form of both
financial
statements and
written
correspondence
from the inmate
demonstrating
mail fraud as
defined below.
If you do not
understand
something listed
in this section,
please contact
our
Legal Department.
Sending money to
an inmate, or
having an inmate
ask for money
alone does not
constitute mail
fraud. This is a
specific crime,
and it applies
only when these
specific
criteria are
met:
18 U.S.C. 1341,
makes it a
Federal crime or
offense for
anyone to use
the United
States mails in
carrying out a
scheme to
defraud. A
person can be
found guilty of
mail fraud only
if all of the
following facts
are proved:
First: That the
person knowingly
and willfully
devised a scheme
to defraud, or
for obtaining
money or
property by
means of false
pretenses,
representations
or promises; and
Second: That the
person used the
United States
Postal Service
by mailing, or
by causing to be
mailed, some
matter or thing
for the purpose
of executing the
scheme to
defraud.
|
Inmates Who Have Been the Victims of Mail Fraud
Inmates can find themselves the victims of mail fraud. Some of
our inmates, for example, have been victimized by businesses
claiming to be us and asking for renewal fees. While
WriteAPrisoner.com always takes action when we are able, it is
important that the inmate also reports the incident. The best
way for an inmate to report a postal crime is to contact the
U.S. Postmaster at the post office nearest to the letter’s
source of origin.
Step 1)
Locate the post office
nearest to the letter’s source of origin.
Step 2) Send the content that you believe to be illegal to the
post office, and add “Attention: Postmaster” to the top of it.
Be short and concise when writing to the postmaster. Be sure
that you believe the activity to be illegal before filing as
well.
Public Who Have Been the Victims of
Inmate Mail Fraud
WriteAPrisoner.com maintains strict policies regarding inmates
attempting to defraud the public. Such occurrences, while rare,
jeopardize the services we provide to well-intentioned inmates
seeking only friendship, legal aid and employment upon release.
WriteAPrisoner.com therefore takes immediate steps to enforce
our policy of banning these inmates from participating in our
services. If you are claiming such a violation, we request that
you print, complete, and send our
Mail Fraud Affidavit to the inmate's facility. Please note, this
Affidavit must be witnessed by a taker of oaths, such as a
notary public.
Step 1) Print and complete the
Mail Fraud Affidavit, and have it notarized.
Step 2) Send the original fraud affidavit to the prison where
the alleged crime occurred. Please include any supporting
documentation, such as letters from the inmate, clearly marked
where you believe the inmate is seeking money under false
pretenses or otherwise clearly pointing out what you believe to
be an attempt to defraud. Make two sets of copies of the
notarized affidavit and all supporting documents.
Step 3) Keep one set of copies for your files. Send the other
set of copies to us, so that we are able to investigate your
allegations. We will remove and blacklist the inmate from using
our services if this is deemed necessary. Send to:
WriteAPrisoner.com Legal Department
PO Box 10
Edgewater, FL 32132 USA
Postal Scams by Inmates
Monetary Donations - When writing to inmates
you should be on guard should you ever receive what appears to
be a form letter requesting money. The institutions provide all
basic needs of living to inmates. In most cases, even
educational programs are free to inmates. Donating money is a
decision that can only be made by you. If the inmate is
requesting a donation for something that seems unusual, please
contact us before sending money and we will address any concerns
you have. A large amount of money for an inmate would typically
be anything over $40.00 or so. There have been some reports of
inmates claiming that they need money before they are allowed to
be released and also for expensive educational programs. Do not
send money in these cases.
Postal Scams Targeting Inmates
Legal Scams - Attorneys (or people
misrepresenting themselves as attorneys) promising sentence
reductions in exchange for large sums of cash have been
sprouting up, and many family members of inmates have been duped
in these scams. The range of money is typically in the
thousands. If you receive such a notice or suspect fraud, be
sure to report it to the appropriate authorities.
Photo Scam - This is a common scam attempted by
people in the free world, which usually targets male inmates.
Females write to an inmate and initiate conversation. In the
letters to follow, they will express their desire to send
photos, but state that they don't have the funds to pay for
them. They will offer to send photos to the inmates if the
inmates are willing to pay for them. Most inmates who send a
money order in this case never receive photos or further
correspondence from these people. They have completed their scam
and have moved on to their next victim.
"Nigerian Oil Scams" - This has been the term
coined by the media for emails, letters and faxes sent to
unsuspecting citizens, in most cases from supposed members of
royal families. They will usually involve a very drawn out
explanation regarding why they have solicited your aid. As the
scam progresses, the Nigerians request blank, signed business
letterhead and invoices; bank account numbers; bank addresses,
phone and fax numbers; and money to cover transaction expenses.
Please note that these scams are not exclusive to Nigeria. They
come from all over the world.
Some indicators that are warnings of a probable scam include:
• Any offer of a substantial percentage of a large sum of money
to be transferred into your account, in return for your
"discretion" or " confidentiality";
• Any deal that seems too good to be true;
• Requests for signed and stamped, blank letterhead or invoices,
or for bank account information;
• Requests for urgent air shipment, accompanied by an instrument
of payment whose genuineness cannot immediately be established;
• Solicitation letters claiming the soliciting party has
personal ties to high Nigerian officials;
• Requests for payment in U.S. dollars, in advance, of transfer
taxes or incorporation fees;
• Statements that your name was provided to the soliciting party
either by someone you do not know or by "a reliable contact;"
• Promises of advance payment for services to be provided to the
Nigerian government;
• Claims that a Nigerian visa is not necessary or that arrival
in Nigeria should be overland from a neighboring country;
• Resistance by these Nigerian "partners" to your desire to
check in with the U.S. Embassy;
• Any offer to supply crude oil; and
• Any offer of a charitable donation.
The indicators listed above are some of the most common and
reliable hallmarks of scam operations. Scams may include one,
some, or all of the above. The list is not all-inclusive, and
scam operators are constantly weaving new elements into their
schemes. It is recommended that you never disclose personal
information (account numbers, etc.) via postal mail, which could
put you in jeopardy.
* Seeking money under false pretenses via the postal mail is
also a federal crime. This can also be reported by filling out
this form. Again, documentation is mandatory for any of
these complaints to be pursued.
* We take every reasonable precaution available to help
safeguard members of the public, minors, and the inmates who use
this service. For a list of safeguards, please visit:
Precautionary Measures.