ID theft scam uses snail mail, Sheriff's Office warns
Another scam has hit Dane County, this one apparently involving an attempt to get people to disclose personal identifying information that can then be used in identity theft, the Dane County Sheriff's Office warns.
The Sheriff's Office has received complaints from several citizens about a mailing that indicates the citizen has been selected to participate in a consumer research program. The mailing asks the citizen to fill out several forms and sign the enclosed check of nearly $4,000 made out to the victim and return them to "Vision Advertising."
The letter says the person sending in the information will receive $800 per week after three months to work as a "secret shopper."
"Even though the letter, forms and check look very official, the check is not real and the forms are devised to collect your personal information most likely to be used in identity theft practices," Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Elise Schaffer said.
The Dane County Sheriff's Office advises to never give out personal information to those who solicit it.
"The old saying, 'If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is,' is a rule that holds true in this situation," Schaffer said, adding that people who receive the mailing should just toss it away.
