New Hampshire Attorney General Peter W. Heed along with the Federal Trade Commission, and 28 state Attorneys General today announced a law enforcement crackdown targeting internet auction scams that have bilked thousands of consumers out of their money and their merchandise. The crackdown, Operation Bidder Beware, coordinated by the FTC in conjunction with the National Association of Attorneys General, resulted in over 55 criminal and civil cases nationwide. The operation is also coordinating a joint consumer education campaign.

“New Hampshire is pleased to be working so closely with law enforcement officials from all over the country” New Hampshire Attorney General Heed said. “We are especially excited about our efforts to alert consumers to the problems and educate them on how to be savvy internet purchasers”.

Heed offered the following consumer tips:

Become familiar with the auction site. Find out what protections the auction site offers buyers. Don’t assume one site’s rules are the same as another’s.

Before bidding, find out all you can about the seller. Avoid doing business with sellers you can’t identify, especially those who try to lure you off the auction site with promises of a better deal.

If the seller insists on using a particular escrow or online payment service you’ve never heard of, check it out. Visit its web site and call its customer service line. If there isn’t one, or you call and can’t reach someone, don’t use that service.

Protect your privacy. Never provide your social security number, driver’s license number, credit card number, or bank account information until you have checked out the seller and the online payment or escrow service, if you’re using one, to ensure legitimacy.

Save all transaction information.

If you have problems during a transaction, try to work them out with the seller, buyer or site operator. If that doesn’t work, file a complaint with your state Attorney General’s Office and the FTC at www.ftc.gov or call toll free 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357).

Check out the FTC’s Internet Auctions: A Guide for Buyers and Sellers, available at the FTC’s Online Shopping Web site for other tips on how to avoid internet auction fraud.

Participants in Operation Bidder Beware include the Attorneys General of Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin and members of California’s Computer and Technology Crime High Tech Response Team, including the San Diego District Attorney, San Diego City Attorney, Orange County District Attorney and Orange Police Department.

Copies of the FTC complaints and comprehensive case list are available from the FTC’s web site.

If New Hampshire consumers wish further information they should go to the Consumer Protection Bureau’s website or call the consumer hotline at 271-3641.