Issue Date:  -  Monday, 23 September 2002

Money, power and love - a three way scam.

A publishing company in Las Vegas in the United States is again targeting consumers in Western Australia offering to share the best-kept secret of all time that will change their lives forever.

A mass-produced "personal" memo from the desk of Eric Savage of publishing company Neo-Tech is received along with letters of endorsement from anonymous television personalities and guarantees that the Neo-Tech secret will provide:

* Regardless of physical looks, sexual pleasure within one week
* Earning power of thousands of dollars per day
* Relief from physical incompetence, illness and allergies
* Beautiful women and powerful men will beg to be your friend

"The Department first named and issued a consumer warning about this scam in April last year when the same offer was marketed under the banner God Man. The selling technique is a so-called free offer to begin with but the intention is to relieve the consumer of US$200", Consumer Protection Commissioner Patrick Walker said.

Consumer Protection receives hundreds of telephone calls per week about scams and its WA ScamNet has recorded more than 2,000 scams forwarded by consumers since its inception in April this year.

"The golden rule is that if an offer sounds too good to be true, then it usually is just that.

Never send money or credit card details to overseas traders unless you have had a reliable history with them and know them to be trustworthy, as it is very difficult to assist consumers who have been ripped off by traders in other countries", the Commissioner said.

Contact Consumer Protection for further advice and assistance:

*  1300 30 40 54
*   wascamnet@docep.wa.gov.au