by Cary Johnson
One of the best ways to protect yourself from identity theft and telemarketing fraud is to stop businesses and charities from selling your name.
You can reduce most junk mail and even some E-mail by contacting the Direct Marketing Association and asking them to stop selling your name. This action should remove your name from sweepstakes lists, lottery lists (not the fraudulent sweepstakes letters that come from out-of-country), lists sold for business marketing, and catalogue lists.
Here’s a suggestion if you should desire to receive a particular catalogue. After you’ve sent the request to OPT OUT, call the catalogue company. State that you’ve opted out of the Direct Marketing List but you would still like to receive their catalogue. Then add, “But you do not have my permission to sell my name to any other entity.”
Here’s the process:
1) From the attached letter, address an envelope to the ‘Mail Preference Service’… add postage; 2) Using the attached letter, place your mailing label, or just write your name & address, next to the place for name & address; 3) Hand sign your name to make the request legal; 4) Enclose $1.00. We do not encourage enclosing a check; instead enclose a single dollar bill.
Within 6 weeks, junk mail should begin drying up!
Mail Preference Service Direct Marketing Association P.O. Box 643 Carmel, New York 10512
Cary Johnson • District Attorney Fraud Line 303-271-6980 Jefferson County, Golden Colorado
Stop Selling My Name by Cary Johnson To Whom It Concerns:
Please remove my name from your marketing lists. Thank you for your attention to this matter. My name and address are:
All versions of your name used in mailings Your mailing address City, State, Zip Code
Sign Your Name
_____________ (Enclose $1.00)