Seventeen Magazine Invoice

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• 0

  tj

  30 Jul 2013

  There are a number of magazines that appear to be using deceptive and fraudulent marketing practices to coerce consumers to "subscribe".  The fraudulent bills may originate from online sweepstakes offers with hidden or deceptive "fine print", deceptive "free trial" offers, magazine subscription cards that anyone could have filled out in anyone's name with no proof of identity, etc.  
  
  There are also indications across consumer complaints that a fraudulent magazine marketer may just be signing up random consumers, resulting in totally fraudulent billing.
  
  The publishers know the "subscriptions" are unproveable, and that some may even be bogus, so they hand off these "accounts" to a sleazy "marketer"/"collection agency" that sends an "invoice" written to imply that "you agreed" to this "subscription".  The practice is known as "chicken billing", since the "marketer" goes as close as they dare to imply "credit damage" or God knows what if you don't pay for what you may never have even agreed to.  Note all the wording emphasizing how you "made" this account, and this "official" sounding "Authorization Officer", with a serious sounding alias, and an "agent number", no less!  All veiled attempts at intimidation, consistent with a chicken billing racket.
  
  You didn't order this magazine.  Maybe a "friend" thought it was a prank, but the carefully crafted wording actually implies they suspect or already know you never ordered it but are attempting to "convert" you to a "customer", and intimidate you into paying anyway.  Carefully skirts the edge of blatant fraud, while crossing over by implication.  In mass market deception, there are no "accidents", as every word is chosen with great care.
  
  The overall pattern suggests connection to some deliberately deceptive website, maybe a "sweepstakes" with obscured terms, or possibly just a sleazy marketer buying lists of "teens, age 16 and up", and just cranking out "accounts" hoping some fall for it.  Technically, that's mail fraud, as it is illegal to send invoices for  unordered merchandise through the US Mail, or to send "solicitations" that could be confused with an invoice.
  
  You have already "closed" this fraudulently created "account", but with fraudulent marketers, such "cancellations" are easily lost.  There are some really sleazy "magazine marketers" that might just sit on a bogus "account" then sell it to a fraudulent "collection agency" to use in shakedown fraud, possibly years later.  Not to worry, These scammers play a careful game, and if you act rabid enough, they will cut and run.  Like any chicken predator, they prefer weak victims.
  
  You might as well learn how to not be a victim of fraud.
  
  First, because you are a minor, be sure to inform your parents or guardian that you have received this fraudulent "invoice".
  
  Then proceed as follows:
  
  Send a letter notifying the publisher that the attached "invoice" is fraudulent, and that you have filed a mail fraud complaint for violations of postal regulations.  At the bottom, put:
  CC: FTC, <your state> Attorney General, US Postal Inspector
  Attached: copy of fraudulent "invoice"
  
  Attach a copy of their "invoice", make a copy of both for your records, and mail it certified, keeping a copy of the certified receipt for your records.
  
  Send a fraud complaint, including a copy of the fraudulent "invoice", to FTC, your state Attorney General, and the US Postal Inspector.  Again, keep copies of all correspondance.
  
  If you are further harassed over this fraudulent "subscription" contact your local District Attorney, with the assistance of your parent or guardian.

  Reply!