A slick scheme aimed at magazine subscribers is making the rounds. Has it happened to you?

A case in point involved a subscriber to a car magazine who received a notice that it was time to renew his subscription. He dutifully sent his renewal check to the company. The June issue never arrived, the first clue something was wrong.

A letter to the magazine revealed that the company that solicited his renewal had no connection with the magazine and was not authorized to contact subscribers.

Another magazine scam involves a renewal, with only one problem. The consumer has never subscribed in the first place. These cases are typical of complaints we hear from consumers who believe they are responding to legitimate solicitations only to find they have been scammed.

If your next renewal notice is from someone other than the publisher, check it out before sending money. Of course, make sure you subscribe to the magazine and receive it regularly before writing a renewal check.