DEAR ABBY: As a public service, please print my letter.
If you put an ad in the lost-and-found section of the newspaper, chances are it will end up on the Internet. When it does, rest assured someone will contact you and offer to return your lost item -- if you wire money to pay for the shipping costs.
Do not, I repeat, DO NOT fall for this scam! Chances are, the crooks do not have the item and never did. They see an opportunity to cheat you. They are counting on your emotional attachment to the lost item. They'll rip you off and laugh all the way to the bank.
How do I know? Our daughter lost her beloved dog. She was ripe for this scam, and fell for it.
If people get a response to their lost-and-found ad, they should "accept" the offer, obtain the name and location of where the crook will claim the money, then notify police. At the very least, the police should be asked for advice. These people must be stopped. -- VICTIM'S MOM, SUN CITY WEST, ARIZ.
DEAR VICTIM'S MOM: Thanks for the warning. It seems that we must all be on our toes these days to protect ourselves.