There is a trend in direct marketing right now to send very misleading, yet convincing mailings that could wipe out your wallet. The main target is senior citizens and they are old fashioned ways of taking advantage of you. They mailings look like they’re coming from an official government organization or department. A popular one today uses a logo that looks like the one from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Really it’s just a pitch from a mortgage company to try and get you to refinance. Another one featured in the Washington Post looks exactly like an envelope from the U.S. Treasury, but it too is a refinance pitch. Many also look like correspondence from your bank or from some kind of “sweepstakes commission” or bureau that doesn’t exist. The Federal Trade Commission is very concerned about these scams, so warn your parents. These are all scams demanding payments, so be very careful.