When you get a solicitation by mail, fax, or email that makes promises that sound too good to be true, trust us, they aren't true. Each day, hundreds of millions of messages are sent to people that say "You are a guaranteed winner of one of five valuable prizes!" or "You have been selected to receive a fabulous vacation!"

Tips to help defend yourself:

• If an offer asks for money in advance to claim a prize or enter a contest, don't send it.
• If a solicitation looks like a government document, pitch it. The government doesn't solicit.
• If you receive an unsolicited check in the mail, read the front and back carefully. By cashing the check, you may be agreeing to be billed monthly for something you don't want or need.
• Document your transactions, and keep the envelopes. They are proof that the mails were used for fraudulent solicitations.
• Never give out your credit card or bank account numbers in response to mail from an organization you don't know.
• Check out the organization with the Attorney General or Better Business Bureau in your state or the state where the organization is located before you send any money for any product or service. This is not foolproof; there may be no record of complaints if an organization is too new or has changed its name.

Opting out of Direct Mail

The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) is a national trade association, who has established a Mail Preference Service (MPS), which allows you to opt out of a national mailing list. For a $5 fee you can register online or by mail.  Online, you can visit the Direct Marketing Association website, or by Mail, send a written request, including your name and address and signature to:

Note: Although registration with MPS will help, it will not stop all junk mail. It will not stop junk mail from companies that do not belong to the DMA organization.