SCAM ALERT: Latest Oswego Scam Comes In The Mail

OSWEGO, IL -- Oswego police are warning residents of the latest scam they have discovered, in which the victim received a letter from "Advanced Market Research."

The letter contained a check for $2,990. The claim was that Advanced Market Research was evaluating the U.S. Post Office, asking the recipient to deposit the check and purchase money orders from the post office, the Oswego Police Department said in a Facebook post.

The check is marked with the company logo Clarke-Franklin & Associates, a company based in Atlanta, GA, according to the erroneous check.

The scam says that once the victim deposits the fake check into their account, they are to purchase money orders and send them to a South Carolina address via FedEx or UPS. The victim's false prize was the leftover funds, which amounted to $90.

There are several hints in the letter which point to its illegitimacy. Note these patterns when you get suspicious letters, and even emails. They often involve basic typography mistakes like capitalization, spelling and grammar errors.

How To Tell It's False

• The k in the name Ronda King is not capitalized.
• The r in 506 Murph Rd, the address receiving the money orders, is not capitalized.
• It says "Kindly send a TEXT." The full capitalization of text is unprofessional.
• They tell victims to send a money order with the payee section blank, a big red flag.
• On more than one occasion they incorrectly capitalize the first letter after a comma.

The Oswego Police Department is urging residents to receive similar letters to call them immediately.

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