NME (National Magazine Exchange) Pat Haines

This sweepstakes notification from Pat Haines is nothing more than a thinly disguised magazine sales pitch that could cost you if you fall for it

The other day I received an exciting message in the mail. It was pink and very official looking. It resembled a telegraph and the words were all capitalized. At first I was worried that I had done something wrong or that something bad had happened. I was relieved to see that it was something else altogether. The letter read:

N.M.E.
16120 U.S. 19 NORTH
CLEARWATER, FL 33764

CALL 1-888-333-6247
ID # 582676561

DEAR JOHN,
WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO REACH YOU REGARDING YOUR $2,100,000.00 SWEEPSTAKES ID # 582676561.
PLEASE CALL US AT THE ABOVE NUMBER. THIS IS A FREE CALL.
       - PAT HAINES, SALES REPRESENTATIVE

EXPIRATION NOTICE: WE MUST HEAR FROM YOU BY THE DEADLINE ON THE FRONT OF THIS MAILER. OTHERWISE YOUR ID NUMBER WILL EXPIRE.

I had a few weeks left before the expiration date. That left me plenty of time to investigate this notice. I was more than a little skeptical. I had never entered this sweepstakes. Why should I suddenly have won? The notice also had "Good Housekeeping" stamped on it in large, black, bold letters. I had heard of Good Housekeeping but had never heard of Pat Gaines or this N.M.E. I began by searching the web for information on NME and Pat Gaines to find out what I could.

I began my investigation by searching the web for information about N.M.E. I typed the address into the search box and away I went. I was not surprised to discover that notices similar to the one I had received had been sent to many people. It turns out that N.M.E. stands for the National Magazine Exchange. People that called the number on the notice were given a sales pitch for magazines. They were told that purchasing these subscriptions increased their chances of winning because the more subscriptions you buy, the better your chances of winning fabulous prizes.

That was all I needed to know. Legitimate sweepstakes tell you right up front that no purchase is necessary to win. Oddly enough, the notice states right tat the bottom that:

There is no purchase required to enter or win and a purchase will not improve your chances of winning.

Once a sales pitch enters the picture and a purchase can improve your chance of winning you can assume the worst. This type of scam is common and a lot of people fall for it. Once these people have your credit card number you could end up being charged for products and fees you hadn't anticipated. If you've been duped by this kind of scam don't hesitate to contact the authorities. These criminals need to be put away and you can help by not letting it slide.

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