• Phone solicitors that require you to courier money or give a credit card number to claim your prize.

• Unsolicited phone calls from people who seem to know a lot about you and are interested in helping you win the big prize, or get rich from a no-risk investment.

• Mail solicitations promising big prizes, wonderful vacations, and no-risk investments and all you pay is tax, bond fees, or delivery charges.

• Beware of anyone who asks you to send money or buy anything sight unseen, unless you are dealing with a reputable firm.

• Calls from someone who claims to be from your credit card company advising that your card may be being used for unauthorized charges.  They will then ask for the 3 digit signature panel code from the back of your card for verification, however, this code was the reason for their call to begin with.

• Never give out your credit card information over the phone.  If someone calls claiming to be from your credit card company, ask them what department they are in; then hang up and call the phone number on the back of your credit card and ask for that department.  This will assure that you are actually speaking to your credit card company, instead of someone impersonating a representative of the company.

• Don't pay for a free prize.  Free is free.  If a caller tells you the payment is for taxes on the prize, he or she has violated Federal law.

• Offering to send a messenger to pick up payment is a clear sign of fraudulent activity.

• Asking the caller to put the offer in writing rarely offers protection to the consumer.  It often leads to credible looking letters that in the consumer's mind seem to legitimize what in fact is a bad deal.

To visit us in person:
Hollywood Police Department
Criminal Investigations Division
3250 Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood, FL 33021