SCAM Alert

A SCAM alert from Maureen Gilbert, President, FSMTA

Many of you have received an email in the last week, the subject is Massage Inquiry.

The email reads:

Hello, How are you today? I sent you an email Last week about a client of mine here in italy that needs a massage therapist in your area. Confirm if you recieved the email below and if you will be able to provide service for my client. etc. etc. etc.

This is indeed a scam and has been reported to the fraud squad. This type of scam comes to the surface every year or so. FSMTA ran the attached article in the November/December 2007 issue Massage Message. Please share the information with your members with a note that there is no therapist from Italy. The email sounds very convincing but remember If an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is! Have a good week.

As ever, Maureen

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More information:

INTERNET FRAUD… Protect Yourself Against Scams. If an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

FSMTA members have alerted us to a resurgence of a familiar internet scam. The most common scam, called a "cross-border scam" involves an e-mail from someone who claims to be planning a visit to the United States and wants to schedule a series of massage sessions.

The person sends a cashier's check in advance for far more than the cost of massage and asks you to return the difference. Unfortunately, the check is counterfeit.

Even though your bank may tell you the check has cleared, it actually takes your bank several weeks to process it and discover the fraud. By then, you've lost the amount sent as a refund, and the bank requires you to cover the entire amount of the check.

In recent months massage therapists have been victims of e-mail and telephone scams. Con artists have targeted many types of professionals with the same approaches.

The good news is that once you know what to look for it's easy to spot these swindles:

• Be cautious opening e-mails from e-mail addresses you do not recognize.
• Be careful about responding to unsolicited e-mails.
• Trust your instincts. If an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

For more information on current scams and fraud over the Internet, logon to: http://www.fraud.org (NCL National Consumers League Fraud Center) or call 1-800-876-7060. You can report a suspected Internet fraud and learn about the latest scams.

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