WESTERN UNION SCAM IS A PLOY THAT DOES NOT DELIVER

The scam: Regular readers of We've Got Your Back know that Western Union has frequently been mentioned in scams since thieves frequently use it to take your money. Wiring money is like handing over cash, and once it's sent, it's difficult to trace and stop. So what happens when Western Union is the conduit and the target for a scam? People get ripped off. Alert reader Charles knew a scam when he saw it.

How it works: Charles received a letter in the mail telling him he'd been selected to make some easy money. He'd be a ''Customer Service Evaluator,'' and his first task was evaluating Western Union. How convenient. He was also given a check for $3,600 that he was to draw upon to send the funds. The scammers sent an evaluation form to rate Western Union's performance.

What to do: You can forward this ''check'' and letter to the U.S. Postal Inspector, P.O. Box 7500, Philadelphia PA 19101-9000. The check appeared to be quite authentic -- but don't be fooled. A number of Web sites list consumer complaints about this mailing, which, despite appearances, does not come from a domestic ''company.'' Instead, it comes from Quebec, which is the birthplace of many online and mail scams that show up in the Lehigh Valley. One writer pleaded for help as her father lost $3,200 on this fraud. From Western Union's Web site: ''Western Union does not recommend using a money transfer to send money to someone you don't know or whose identity you can't verify.''