Also known as "false charges," this scam involves a charge for payment for items that the user does not recognize, often for the usage of Internet contents or telephone charges. The fraudster will send dunning postcards or call up the user to demand payment. Billing fraud involving the Internet is also on the rise.
- Even if the bill states a due date, or if it threatens to send a collector to you, you should not respond to it if you don't recognize the bill.
- If you feel worried about the bill if you do not recognize it, contact the police or the consumer service center.
- You may find yourself receiving numerous emails telling you to reply to them with your name and email address if you want to stop receiving them, but you should never do so.
You may also encounter a case in which, as you casually click on the screen, a message appears unexpectedly saying, "Thank you for joining us," and telling you to pay the membership fee. But you are not obliged to join up only because you have viewed the page. You should just ignore it.
- "A dunning postcard from a debt collector?"
One day, Mr. A received a postcard saying, "We are a collecting company commissioned by Internet contents providers to collect payments. (Omitted) We have been asked to collect your bill and have contacted you a number of times, but we have not been able to confirm your payment..."
The card further says, "Please make a payment of the following amount," and it warns that, if no payment is made, they will "send a collector to your residence," and will even "take legal procedures." Intimidated by the prospect of "legal procedures," Mr. A made a payment as instructed.
- Receives a bill for contents usage fees which the victim does not recognize
- It is written as if the sender knows the victim's address.
- The postcard warns of "legal procedures."
