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Junk Fax Scams
"Attention Small Business Owners: Short on Cash? We can help!",
800-644-0271,
We have obtained your fax number through an established Business relationship. If you have received this fax in error, or no longer wish to receive faxes, please call 1-888-575-1256.
Did you receive a fax with the sending number blocked, subject "Attention Small Business Owners: Short on Cash? We can help!",
saying to call "800-644-0271" and "We have obtained your fax number through an established Business relationship. If you have received this fax in error, or no longer wish to receive faxes, please call 1-888-575-1256."? It is a junk fax scam. While the
names, numbers and exact wording may change, if it looks like the example below,
it is just a sleazy attempt to send an unsolicited junk advertisement.
This "business" either bought your fax number off of a list of
verified fax machine phone numbers, or made his own list, using an autodialer to
randomly dial phone numbers until it hears a fax receiving tone on the other
end.
The scams work the same way as in email or telephone; usually it
is "hot stock tip" scam (see this page
about stock and security scams) or it is a basic advanced fee fraud (AFF,
also called "Nigerian 419 scams, see this page) or it is simply a
really sleazy way to advertise their product or service. Would you
want to buy anything from a business that uses junk faxes to advertise?
Autofax dialers can produce, store, and dial telephone numbers using a
random or sequential number generator. Often, they dial every number in a
sequence, hoping that some are valid and they will connect to a fax machine.
See this page
for what you can do to stop the junk faxes, including suing them!
Example of the junk fax "Attention Small Business Owners: Short on Cash? We can help!" scam from 800-644-0271:
More questions?
See this list of frequently
asked questions, direct from the FTC.
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