Direct Mail Marketing Goes Rogue – Offline Identity Theft Tactics
February 14th, 2010 | 
Author: Direct Mail Marketing Goes Rogue – Offline Identity Theft Tactics
Direct Mail marketing tactics are being effectively used by fraudsters to trick individuals into revealing confidential information and resulting in identity theft.
Identity theft is an increasing problem both offline and online. So when I received a letter informing me of the “fabulous news” that I had won 5000 and I saw it as an opportunity to take a more indepth look at the tactics fraudsters are using.
I looked for a phone number absent. I then looked at the return address Canada. Yet the letter had been posted in the UK. Strange. I did a Google search for company name.
At number 2 was a link to an article in the Mirror titled “Rogue Mail”. This slick scam was apparently netting the operators millions of pounds because to claim your prize you had to pay 20.
So here’s a look at some of the tactics adopted by this company which if used legitimately could improve the effectiveness of your Direct Mail campaigns.
1.Delivery Envelope
The envelope displayed the company’s name and under the company name were the words “Cash Release Documents”. Over the window of the envelope were the words “Final Notice For:” which implied a sense of urgency. To the right of the envelope were the words “OPEN AT ONCE” i.e. a strong call to action.
2.Response Envelope
Including an addressed reply envelope generally increases the response rate and a reply envelope was dutifully included in this case. Some Direct Mail marketers use FREEPOST envelopes but the problem with this is that it can increase the response rate of junk mail.
3.Main Letter
The main letter was wellpresented and looked official. The letter had been folded in three and the body of the letter was laid out in such a way that the information above the first fold was compelling as well as the information between the folds and at the bottom of the letter.
We tend to scan letters reading the headline subheaders and footers first and taking in any other striking information so this was a clever marketing tactic. In fact the headline is critical to the success of the Direct Mail campaign. Given our short attention span some attribute 90 of the success of a Direct Mail campaign to using a captivating headline.
In this case above the fold and in italics there was a short paragraph preceded by the word “Attention” and containing the word “CONGRATULATIONS” notifying me that I had won a prize and it was “ready for dispensation”. The prize would be held for me until I responded by post according to the terms of the letter. Then there was another “call to action”.
The letter went onto to say that as soon as I responded my cheque would be dispatched to me using a registered courier service. This was a subtle reminder that I had to act quickly to take advantage of this offer.
The middle section gave details about the prize and an option to have the money released in one lump sum or to have four equal payments. A nobrainer proposition when you think about it but what this copy did was reinforce that there was money at stake.
4.Signature
The scanned signature was legible and in blue. Believe it or not this is another important feature of Direct Mail letters. Signatures should be legible and research has shown that the best colours for your signature are “process” or “reflex” blue. The rest of the text should be black against ideally a white offwhite or pale yellow background.
5.Post Script
All strong sales letters will contain a strong postscript to end such as reminding potential customers of the key benefits of the item being sold or of the steps to take. In this case the reader was reminded that they could spend the money any way they liked encouraging those who had been lured to this point to imagine how they would spend their unexpected windfall.
6.Order Form
Naturally Direct Mail Marketing campaigns contain an order form. The order form should stand out from the main letter. One way to achieve this is to print it on paper of a different colour such as blue or pink. Another marketing tactic is to give the order form a different title because most people are averse to formfilling. In this case the order form was headed “Cheque Release Form” where the first two words neutralised any negative impact the word “form” might have had.
These tactics can all contribute towards generating highincome earning legitimate Direct Mail campaigns. The letter I received was slick but there were several errors or irregularities.
Unfortunately there will always be vulnerable or easily influenced individuals who will fall prey to companies such as “Global Escrow Services” and become another casualty of identity theft.
About the writer: Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the US and the UK. Be proactive to prevent yourself from becoming a victim to this emotionally and financially costly crime. Visit Identity Theft Stop Now for more information on effective solutions to identity fraud.
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