A news release from the U.S. Postal Service brought someimportant and useful information this week — an updated list ofthe top five mail fraud scams.

Here they are, based on the number of victims and amount ofmonetary loss:

* Free prize schemes

* Foreign lotteries

* Pyramid schemes

* Investment fraud schemes

* Work-at-home schemes

This is part of the Postal Service’s National Protection Weekobservance. Appropriately, the week’s theme is “Get Rich Quick?Don’t Count On It.”

Here’s how some of the scams work:

Ever get a letter that says you have “won a free prize.” Sureyou have. So have I. The notification can be a postcard, too, butit will list one of four or five “valuable items” — like a newcar, a color TV or a vacation.

According to postal officials, con artists mail most of thesenotices. When you contact them to claim your prize, they’ll tellyou that you must pay a “processing fee.” You will be pressured togive a credit card number. Those who fall victim could seethousands of dollars in unauthorized charges when their next creditcard statement arrives.

Sending a check is not good, either. Generally, the prizes youare paying for are worthless junk.

Chances are you’ve received a solicitation or chain letterguaranteeing you “earn big $$$$” with one small investment. Yep,all you have to do is send in a small amount to everyone on thelist, mail the letter to 10 friends, sit back and watch the checkspour in to your mailbox.

That’s a pyramid scheme, and if you take part, you could bebreaking federal laws. Plus, you’ll be out the amount of your”small investment.”

Foreign lotteries are against federal law, and so is sendinglottery solicitations through the U.S. mail. Most — if not all –foreign lottery solicitations are bogus, officials say. They are,simply put, a con artist trying to separate you and your money.

Other swindlers use both the mail and telephone to push theirscams.

According to the Postal Service, watch out if

* The salesperson makes it sound as if you can’t lose;

* You are promised an unusually high rate of return or interestpayment on your capital

* You are pressured to make a decision because the newinvestment units “are selling fast.”

The idea of working at home appeals to many folks, and that’s acon artist’s dream.

Work-at-home fraud is envelope stuffing. Usually, there isnothing to stuff. Instead, participants get instructions how todeceive others into the same scam.

To help prevent being taken by a swindler, the Postal Servicesays consumers should take these steps:

* Know who you are doing business with before you sendmoney.

* Be skeptical of anything that “sounds too good to betrue.”

* Discard foreign lottery solicitations.

* Never give personal information such as a credit card number,Social Security number, date of birth, mother’s maiden name, orbank personal identification number (PIN) over the telephone unlessyou initiated the call.

Complaints can be reported to the Post Service’s Fraud hotlineat 1-800-372-8347.

Write to Nanette Laster at P.O. Box 551, Brookhaven, Miss.39602, or send e-mail to news@dailyleader.com.