Today's gripe

Got a letter the other day from "Shadow Shopper Inc." You've probably heard about this scam; it's all over the Internet. But this is the first time I've seen it in the U.S. mail. I guess I was targeted because I am old, or at least getting there, and presumably feeble-minded, bereft of my senses and drunk with greed.

The letterhead gives a Maryland address and a fax number, although the area code for the fax is in Los Angeles, Calif. Enclosed with the letter is a check for $3,980. The check, issued by LSG Technologies of Dallas, Texas, looks legitimate, but it's easy enough to create these forgeries with a computer and printer. LSG is a large defense contractor. The letter asks me to first call the company for instructions before depositing the check. (The area code of the phone number is for Montreal, Quebec, by the way.)

The procedure is to deposit the check in my account, go to Wal-Mart and buy $100 worth of goods and evaluate the experience, and then mail the evaluation back to them and send them $3,400 by Money-Gram. I get to keep the $100 worth of stuff I bought, plus $380 for my troubles.

Well, my troubles will begin about five days later when my bank calls to tell me I'm overdrawn because that $3,980 check I deposited was phony.
I don't know how anyone would be stupid enough to fall for this, but I suppose there are plenty of suckers out there who actually believe that they can earn big money by doing nothing more than going shopping.

This is mail fraud, and it's a crime that ought to be vigorously prosecuted. It's not, and maybe that's because some of us feel anyone stupid and greedy enough to be taken by this scam deserves to lose his money.