411 New York

NEW YORK (OCN) — Is a scam brewing from The State of New York? Well, if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck then it must be.

So far I have noticed that a lot of people are searching for a specific PO Box (PO Box 462 to be exact) in the city of Bohemia. The Contacts below are different as you can see but the address is virtually the same.

Imperial Distribution Company
PO Box 462
Bohemia, NY 11716-0462

International Designer World
PO Box 462
Bohemia, NY 11716-0462

Kingston & Strathmore
PO Box 462
Bohemia NY 11716-0462

Financial Safety Services
PO Box 462
Bohemia NY 11716-0462

Financial Security Services
PO Box 462
Bohemia NY 11716-0462

International Cheques Clearing House
PO Box 462
Bohemia, NY 11716-0462

The next time you receive a letter, keep these tips in mind.

1. Legitimate sweepstakes don’t require you to pay or buy something to enter or improve your chances of winning, or to pay “taxes” or “shipping and handling charges” to get your prize. If you have to pay to receive your “prize,” it’s not a prize at all.
2. Sponsors of legitimate contests identify themselves prominently; fraudulent promoters are more likely to downplay their identities. Legitimate promoters also provide you with an address or toll-free phone numbers so you can ask that your name be removed from their mailing list.
3. Bona fide offers clearly disclose the terms and conditions of the promotion in plain English, including rules, entry procedures, and usually, the odds of winning.
4. It’s highly unlikely that you’ve won a “big” prize if your notification was mailed by bulk rate. Check the postmark on the envelope or postcard. Also be suspicious of telemarketers who say you’ve won a contest you can’t remember entering.
5. Fraudulent promoters might instruct you to send a check or money order by overnight delivery or courier to enter a contest or claim your “prize.” This is a favorite ploy for con artists because it lets them take your money fast, before you realize you’ve been cheated.
6. Disreputable companies sometimes use a variation of an official or nationally recognized name to give you confidence in their offers. Don’t be deceived by these “look-alikes.” It’s illegal for a promoter to misrepresent an affiliation with — or an endorsement by — a government agency or other well-known organization.
7. It’s important to read any written solicitation you receive carefully. Pay particularly close attention to the fine print. Remember the old adage that “the devil is in the details.”
8. Agreeing to attend a sales meeting just to win an “expensive” prize is likely to subject you to a high-pressure sales pitch.
9. Signing up for a sweepstakes at a public location or event, through a publication or online might subject you to unscrupulous prize promotion tactics. You also might run the risk of having your personal information sold or shared with other marketers who later deluge you with offers and advertising.
10. Some contest promoters use a toll-free “800″ number that directs you to dial a pay-per-call “900″ number. Charges for calls to “900″ numbers may be very high.
11. Disclosing your checking account or credit card account number over the phone in response to a sweepstakes promotion — or for any reason other than to buy the product or service being sold — is a sure-fire way to get scammed in the future.
12. Your local Better Business Bureau and your state or local consumer protection office can help you check out a sweepstakes promoter’s reputation. Be aware, however, that many questionable prize promotion companies don’t stay in one place long enough to establish a track record, and the absence of complaints doesn’t necessarily mean the offer is legitimate.

If you have additional info to add, please share it with us and we will add them to the growing list. Your personal information will not be saved or revealed and tips could be a benefit to others as this is now for you.