Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 243, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 October 1915 — “BUNCOED, BY GUM,” THROUGH U. S. MAILS [ARTICLE]

“BUNCOED, BY GUM,” THROUGH U. S. MAILS

Federal Vigilence Fails to Stop Frauds That Take Vast Sams From the Gullible Public. Fraudulent schemes ranging from offers of |IOO to girls for the use of their photos in advertising a now brand of chewing gum to the sale of finger rings supposed to cure everything from St. Vitus dance to adenoids have swindled the American public of more than $238,000,000 in the last four years, according to postoffice officials. In an effort to reduce this wholesale victimization the postoffice department has issued fifty-six fraud orders during the last year. The issuance of such an order denies the person named in it the use of the mails. “The number of fraudulent schemes has been greatly diminished,” said J. Julieh Southerland, assistant solicitor of the postoffice department, who passes on most of the fraud order cases, “but the records show that during the bast four years the schemes suppressed had filched from the public over $238,000,000. One concern had receipts of over $850,000 last year. The promoter of a fake anti-fat preparation spent $50,000 in a single month on advertising. “During the last four years the department has had over 15,000 cases involving fraudulent use of the mails, and during that period has received and answered about 200,000 communications relating to fraudulent use of the mails. v “'Last year investigations were undertaken in 4,000 cases, and over 40,000 complaints and inquiries were received.”