Consumer Protection Lawyers

Law Office of Arthur L. Weiss, P.C.

Your calls are not returned, you are out over ten thousand dollars and the only thing you have to show for it are a few phone calls and some worthless booklets telling you how to get rich.  You are now the victim of a scam.  It may have originated via the internet, via the telephone or through an infomercial.  The end result is the same - you are out a lot of money and someone has gotten rich.  Unfortunately it is not you.  What do you do now?

 

First - do not throw anything away.  You may want to trash the entire collection of junk they sent you in the mail, shred the contract and forget the whole thing.  This is exactly what they want you to do.  They have your ten grand and they would like nothing more than for you to disappear.  Gather all the materials together and preserve them well.  They may come in handy in the future and they probably do not take up too much room.

 

Second  -  In addition to the items they mailed to you, collect all documents that pertain to payments you made to them.  Ask your bank for a copy of any checks that you mailed to them, both front and back.  Since 99% of the transactions involve a credit card payment keep records of your monthly credit card statements that reflect the payments they deducted, whether rightfully or wrongfully.  If there was a debit from your bank account make sure you keep a good copy of your monthly statements.

 

Third - Contact the company in writing and ask for a refund - keep a copy of the letter of course. Tell them you are not happy, that you did not get what you expected and that you do not wish to continue with their program.  Make the demand for the return of your money, but be prepared  never to hear from them again or worse, they call you to try to sell you more!  Practice note: Tell them you want your money returned within 30 days or so. Do not give them an open ended demand.

 

Fourth  -  If the transaction involved a credit card then notify your credit card company about the fraud.  They are not interested in participating or assisting in fraudulent transactions and may be in a position to help.  

 

Fifth - There are state agencies that deal in consumer fraud and they can generally be found in the Attorney General’s office.  You can find procedures for filing a complaint on line at the website for the Arizona Attorney General.  Fill one out for both your state and the state where the scammer does business.

 

Sixth - If you truly feel that a fraud has been perpetrated you may wish to contact an attorney licensed to practice in your state.  There is a big difference, though, between fraud and savvy marketing.  If it is the latter, you stand little chance of getting your money back. If you paid $10,000 for a product worth $100 but you knew what you were buying, that’s savvy marketing and the law will be reluctant to protect you.  However, if they represented that you were going to get a 1 karat genuine diamond ring for $100 and then delivered a piece of glass, that’s fraud. What is fraud?

Phone: 520.319.9057

Fax: 520.319.9058

E-mail: weiss60@msn.com

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I’ve Been scammed—what do I do now?