Hayden woman reports that she nearly fell victim to financial scam

HAYDEN - A Hayden woman fell victim to what she said was a scam, but recovered in time to not lose any money.

The woman, who asked that her name not be used because she was embarrassed, said she received a letter Monday from a financial service out of Minnesota informing her she owned $138.55 after failing to fulfill her obligation for buying "Universal Cleanse" in a risk-free trial offer in July 2009.

The woman called the company, and insisted she never ordered anything and owed no money. After much arguing and threats that failure to settle the account would affect her credit score, she agreed to pay $50 and provided an automatic pay from her checking account.

But after checking with her husband, he told her it was a scam and to cancel the payment. She did, but since the company has her routing and bank account number, she closed the account Tuesday.

The woman has filed complaints with the Attorney General's office in Idaho and Minnesota and the Better Business Bureau.

The woman said the fact the company was willing to take so much less to settle the bill the day they called should have been a sign it was a scam.