I Just Won the Lottery!
97If it is Too Good to be True, It Probably Is!
A number of years ago I attended a math workshop where one of the presenters explained probability theory by demonstrating that the probability of winning the jackpot in the Arizona Lottery by purchasing a ticket were almost the same as the odds of winning without buying a ticket. In other words, the odds of a person winning the lottery by finding a ticket on the sidewalk are just slightly less than are the chances of winning by purchasing a ticket.
Well, last week, I won the lottery without ever entering. No, it wasn't the jackpot or even any of the lesser prizes in the Arizona lottery. And, no, it wasn't an email informing me that I had won a lottery and asking for my bank account and Social Security numbers so they could deposit the winnings to my bank account.
Caveat Emptor!
This was a letter delivered in a plain window envelope with a return address to a post office box in Mexico, Missouri on the back flap. It was addressed to me by name and, when I opened it, a check, made payable to me and in the amount of $2,950, fell out. At first I assumed that it was a solicitation for a mortgage refinance and the check a gimmick that could only be used for some of the fees. However, it was a real check from a real bank with no strings attached – I could deposit it and spend the money as soon as the check cleared.
This was obviously too good to be true – and it was. The letterhead on the accompanying letter identified the lottery sponsors in big letters as:
PARTY BINGO LOTTERY INC.
E-BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT UNIT,
SUITE 900 EUROPORT GIBRALTAR
Here I have won a lottery sponsored by Party Bingo Lottery Inc. which is located on Gibraltar (the large rock island at the west end of the Mediterranean Sea) but the check is from a company called Gold Crest Distributing, LLC which is located in an out of the way burg of 13,000 residents in northeastern Missouri. The guys behind this were obviously keeping a very low profile.
Reading on, it got more interesting. In the second paragraph I learned that my name was selected by computer from a world-wide data base belonging to “readers digest publishers clearing house, computer games sweepstakes”. Wow! The Reader's Digest Sweepstakes, which I haven't heard from in years, let alone entered, and Publishers Clearing House who also gave up mailing me years ago have joined forces and the new management doesn't know that proper names (like a company name) should be capitalized.
The third paragraph informed me, in bold print, that I must immediately deposit the enclosed $2,950.00 check to my bank account in order to pay the “States Lottery and Gaming Commission Agency”. The sentence continues (these guys apparently don't know the difference between a paragraph and a sentence as each paragraph consists of a single run on sentence) by informing me first, that the $2,950 fee must be paid to this gaming commission before my winnings can be released and, second, that they will be deducting a 7% handling charge of $3643.50. After the payment to the Gaming Commission and the handling charge my net winnings would be $48,406.50. While their grammar skills left much to be desired, their math worked out to the penny.
The third paragraph obviously had all kinds of red flags, the first being who is the “States Lottery and Gaming Commission Agency”? Under the U.S. and Canadian federal systems, the U.S. has 50 states and Canada 10 provinces each with their own government and each having authority to regulate and tax lotteries and other types of gambling within their borders. In those states and provinces which allow gambling there is an entity known as the “Lottery and Gaming Commission” or “Lottery and Gaming Agency” or “Lottery and Gaming Corporation”. However all of them include their state or province name, such as the “Ontario Lottery and Gaming Commission” and none have a name that ends with “Commission Agency” - they are either a commission or an agency, not both. But the real question was, how was this supposed “States Lottery and Gaming Commission Agency” going to get their money by my depositing of the check to MY bank account. Was I then to turn around and write a check and mail it to them for the $2,950? If that was the case, would it not be easier to simply endorse the check to them rather than depositing it and writing a new one? Further, whenever possible, governments prefer to deal with paying agencies rather than with individuals which is why the IRS insists that our employers over calculate what we will owe on income taxes and send it to the IRS directly rather than giving us our full pay and having us pay the government ourselves. It is much easier and cheaper to enforce the tax law on thousands of businesses rather than millions of people. Therefore, why wasn't this Party Bingo outfit sending the tax money directly to the authorities rather than to me? I couldn't be because they didn't know where to send it as their letter implied that they would not release my winnings to me until they had verification that the money was paid.
I knew it was a scam and was not about to deposit the check, despite pleas from my 17 year old son to do so (probably hoping that I would share part of my good fortune with him), as I was certain that it would bounce and I would end up paying $25 or more in bank service charges for depositing a bad check. But I couldn't figure out how the scamers would benefit from my paying a service charge to may bank. Was it possible for me to turn the tables on them by depositing the check and then not make the telephone call to "1-902-412-8972" for further instructions as instructed in the next paragraph. Sure, I would forfeit the the remaining $48,406.50, which was obviously bogus, but I would still be $2,950 richer. However, that was too easy, and I was certain that these fellows were not about to risk thousands of their own money by sending out hundreds of $2950 checks in hopes that everyone would respond as planned. I received the check on the 16th and had until Friday the 19th (according to the letter) to deposit it – this too, was a red flag as the pressure to hurry meant that they were in a hurry to wrap up the operation and flee with their money before the law caught up with them.
Should I Cash this and Not Pay the Lottery and Gaming Commission Agency?
The Assistant Bank Manager Reveals How the Scam Works
On Friday I went to the bank on other business and, while there, asked the teller what could happen if I deposited check, adding that I knew it was a scam and was just trying to figure out how it worked. She laughed and told me to see the Assistant Manager who had a lot of experience with these lotteries. As soon as she saw the letterhead, the Assistant Manager laughed and said “so you got one of these too!” Obviously half of Tucson had won this lottery. She then explained how the scam worked. Gold Crest Distributing, LLC is a legitimate company in Mexico, Missouri (I already knew that having looked them up on the Internet and discovering they had no connection to lotteries but were a company that manufactured novelties for companies to give away at trade shows) and the characters behind the lottery had stolen the checks (most likely by obtaining a copy of one of their checks and then reproducing fakes with their computer and printer). People who received these checks would deposit them and they would clear because the company would have enough money to cover them along with their other operations in the near term. As soon as the checks cleared (and this was why it was so important for the winners to deposit them immediately) the winners would be instructed to withdraw the $2,950 in CASH and then take it to Western Union and send it to the “States Lottery and Gaming Commission Agency” or other dummy corporation in Gibraltar. An agent for the dummy corporation would pick up the cash from Western Union and before the end of the month the operation would be wrapped up, the money probably moved via Western Union or other means to some place beyond the reach of the governments of the areas where the scam took place. Meanwhile, it would be a month or more before someone in the accounting department at Gold Crest would begin to reconcile the January bank statement and discover a series of $2,950 checks that were not only not recorded in their ledger but were made out to people who had not done any business with the company. The fraud would be reported, Gold Crest's bank would inform the banks which had cashed the checks that they were forgeries and these banks would then inform their customers that the checks they had deposited were a fraud and to repay the $2,950 plus service charges for depositing a bad check.
While technology was obviously used in the operation for things like printing the checks and moving the money, the scam itself was not tied to the Internet. However, like similar Internet scams, this was just a variation of the age old bait and switch operations where scamers dangle something enticing in front of their marks, get the marks to pay and then skip town before the mark discovers that the promised object never existed. These scams work because the victims are blinded by the prospects of something for nothing while, at the same time, reassured by the apparent legitimacy of the operation.
Greed and gullibility are the tools of the scamers trade as they have been for centuries. Since the days of ancient Rome we have had the term “caveat emptor!” which translates into English as “buyer beware!” While never a legal concept, it has always been a bit of folk wisdom that has saved those who followed the advice billions over the millenia while those who have ignored it have probably lost a greater amount in that time. Other useful sayings to ponder when encountering these “too good to be true” opportunities include:
“There is no such thing as a free lunch.”
“If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.”
See my Hub entitled Money Laundering Jobs Aplenty for information on a similar scam that dupes people into accepting jobs as Financial Agents, or some similar title, from foreign based criminals to assist the criminals in moving stolen money from countries like the U.S., Canada, Australia, Western Europe, etc. to East European or Asian countries where the criminals operate from.
Text of Letter
Below is the text of the letter I received. I have attempted to copy the run on sentences, odd wording and other errors as they appeared in the letter. If you read it carefully, it is actually quite humorous. You can see the general layout of the original letter in the digital image above. Enjoy.
PARTY BINGO LOTTERY INC.
E-BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT UNIT,
SUITE 900 EUROPORT GIBRALTAR
JANUARY 3RD, 2007.
Chuck Nugent
(My address)
Tucson AZ
Re: AWARD CLAIM FINAL NOTIFICATION
After numerous attempts to reach you by phone have failed, we are pleased to inform you through this letter that our network system shows you as the lucky winner of unclaimed prize money in the amount of $ 55,000 USD. The system indicates that you were selected as a winner for the 2007 Holiday season sweepstakes draws
All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from readers digest publishers clearing house, computers games, sweepstakes data base, are from Australia, New Zealand, Europe, North and South America, South Africa and Asia, as this is our International Promotions Program, which is conducted monthly. CONGRATULATIONS!
Enclosed is a check of $2950.00 USD, {TWO THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS} payable to you and must be deposited into your bank account immediately to pay for your registration with the States Lottery and Gaming Commission Agency, which must be paid before we can release your balance in the amount of $48406.50 excluding 7% handling charges in the amount of $3643.50 deducted from your total winnings.
Your claim number is ELM-CLMS-2007-00134. We ask that you keep your Claim number confidential secured till your claim has been properly processed and funds remitted to you as this is a part of our security protocol to avoid any DOUBLE CLAIMS.
Code of conduct, ethics and underage gambling and responsible gaming: We see gambling as a legitimate form of entertainment that is enjoyed by millions of adult worldwide, however we also realize that there may be players who are underage or let gambling assume to a large role in their life. As a result we are very conscious to advertise and operate responsibly so as to protect and assist problem gamblers to identify their addiction and seek counseling
ALL prize money must be claimed not later than the 19th of JANUARY 2007 at which any unclaimed funds shall be forfeited.
Please call your North America claim agent MARIA WILLIAMS at 1 902 412 8972 upon receipt of this notification for further instructions.
We wish you and your family all the best for a safe and happy new year.
Yours Sincerely,
Yvonne Normand Cloven Cequine
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I was tempted to deposit it and even considered putting it in the checking account at the commercial bank near our home where we have our safe deposit box and where the bank required us to open an account in order to have the box. There is no minimum balance on the account and no service chages and I was tempted to withdraw all but a dollar and then deposit the check so if there was any way the scamers could get at the account all they could steal of mine would be $1. But I was fairly certain that the check would eventually be returned NSF and that I would be charged a fee for depositing such a check (these fees to the account holder at the receiving bank can run as high as $50). It was the fear of the $50 fee that made me investigate further.
Well, damnmy! - but I really knew it was to good to be true. I took the check to the bank and had the assistant manager verify the funds. Done. But now I am waiting: not withdrawing any of the monies represented on the recieved check.
Others should know. The authors of this scam letter have "cleaned up" and corrected their grammatical and "sentence running language.
Thanks for the info.
JWV
well let me tell you I got something in the mail today and called and spoke to a nice man and actually said to him this isn't a scam right? hahah not like they would tell me right? well the check says cashiers check and has the safetly watermark so I am so upset and thought how could this be a scam when I have a cashiers check in front of me??? I will take it to my bank as well but am sure it is too good to be true. I am so sad because me and my husband (we are newlyweds) he is overseas fighting the war and we would have been very happy to have $47,010 right now. I am actually in tears because of soemones heartless scam.
Well done my dear Inspector Clouseau. Dr's Casady & Hallich would be very proud of your effort. I have not received my ltr of temptation yet, but thanks for the warning.
Just an additonal note; these people have apparently branched out and are using other company names and other company's stolen checks to perpetuate their scam. The letter head and the bulk of the letter remains the same, however.
Thanks Jason for the comment. As long as there are people who will fall for the scam, the scam artists will keep trying.
That is screwy! Glad you didn't get sucked in.
Yes, I too received this scam, and yes, I thought about depositing this $2950.00 check in my account then wait to see if the check cleared. Something about the letter and method of payment did not seem right to me so I went to Gold Crest Distributing LLC on the web. This company is a high profile nature item distributor. Party Bingo Lottery Inc is not found anywhere on the web. Warning!!! always do your research first. Thanks Chuck for posting this sight.
February 5,2007 - Just got it in the mail tonight and my boyfriend looked it up on the computer and we found your report. Looked at Better Business Bureau and they did not have anything on this. It was the 3rd Paragraph my boyfriend looked at and looked up, there you had the same lettler and check. In anyway can you tell us what we can do about this?
Thank You, Ginger
Has anyone received a check from Green Light Financial Trust for a similar amount? This time it is a total of $58,000 won, but same type of depositing method and $2,950 check. I'm one out of six that have won a 348,000 online lottery. yea right! Bank is legite but this is definitely to good to be true. He said when I entered the Publisher's Clearing House Sweepstake's they had an option to enter into other online lotteries and if I clicked yes then I was automatically entered in to their lottery. I emailed PCH about this company because they say they sponsor them. Haven't heard back from PCH. The man I talked with had a very strong accent. He said this is no scam . . . we are not asking for any bank numbers, etc. from you. They are also giving until Feb. 16 to deposit the check. I'm sending the info. to the Postal Inspection folks. Here is their website www.USPS.com to file a complaint.
Marsha, Ginger,
Thanks for your comments.
I have added a links module to this hub with links I used to research the scam. You might find some of them useful in checking out future scams. The abundance of links also illustrate the ease with which a person using a Google search can research suspecious offers.
These scams are just newer versions of scams that have been going on since ancient times. The problem with catching the people behind the scams is that they come into an area, work it for a short time and disappear (Mark Twain, in the "Adventures of Huckelberry Finn", gives a description of these people in the form of the two characters Huck and Jim meet on their trip down the Mississippi. In this case the townspeople caught on to them in time and tarred and feathered them before running them out of town on a rail). The best advice law enforcement authorities give is to be aware that these exist and be suspecious of any deal that looks too good to be true - it usually is!
As far as doing something about them, it is very difficult. You can report them to the Postal Inspector's division of the Post Office (using the U.S. Mail for these scams is a violation of Federal Law) and you can report them to local law enforcement. However, given the multiple jurisdictions the scam operators run the scams from and the fact that they move in fast, snare a few people and disappear makes it very difficult to catch them. Realistically, this operation was probably based in Gribaltar with the telephone contact in Nova Scotia - that is two different foreign countries over which the local police in Tucson have no control. The checks were stolen in Missouri and the letters probably mailed from there but, before the letters were received, I am certain that the people mailing them had left the U.S. This makes it very difficult to do anything about this. By the time someone reported them and the local police began investigating and contacting police in the other countries, the scam was over and the criminals had taken the money they collected and fled to another country. When they do get caught, it is usually for another crime. Authorities can then prosecute them for this crime as well (or use this crime for a plea bargain deal in exchange for information on other crimes) - however the money taken in the scam is long gone, leaving any victims uncompensated.
I got a check from EMPIRE E-ONLINE LOTTERY INC. I was so happy that I had won some money. I knew that something had to be wrong with it but I didn't think twice to put it in my bank account. I called my bank to day asking where is my money and they told me that the bank the check was from didn;t want to pay up. I needed the money and I wanted to know what was going on so I started to look up thngs on the internet. That is when I fount this web site. I am happy tht I wasn't abolw to cash the check or I would be in more troubles then ever. What can we do about these people
I like Breonnia also recieved a check from Empire E-Online Lottery and I know about paying taxes so I knew Something wasnt right and i just contacted Publisher Clearing House to let the know that there is a scam out there using their company name along with others I am filing a complaint with the Postal Inspector and because I looked up the names thats how I found this and just like Chucks the body of the letter is almost the same and the check amount is 3950 instead of 2950 but the logo on the letter is the same and so is the names on the bottom
I recieved the same check today and man i wanted to cash that puppy!
But noooo my wouldnt let me until we checked it out and thanks to you people im $25.00 richer. My says that i shouldnt be so trusting . Well :( man I wanted that money bad! It's to bad there are so many dishonest people on this planet. Anyway EMPIRE E-ONLINE LOTTERY INC. is the name on my letter that came with my check $3950.00 check I was going to go shoping with. lol
Frank in Santa Maria Calif.
I just got a letter from LIBERTY PROMOTIONS LOTTERY INC. ,4002 Hill St U.S. Virgin Is St 00801
CLMS - 2007/02/00134. It had a check for $3,950 and requested immediate deposit and said I had to pay $2,645 in processing fees to the same company that had my money! Just so they could release it to me! This letter follows the above example just like a form letter.
The one I just recieved on 2/26/07 is the same as eveyone else's only a different company AMT Financial Trust Services, of course a real company, Emerald Isle, NC exact same letter, only the check amount being different($3,200.00). As soon as I saw it I knew! Only because,two months earlier-12/12/06- to be exact, I happened to recieve a letter almost quite like it, only this one had informed me I just recieved a GRANT! In this letter the "company" was Fortune Grants Inc. ("supposedly" government accredited and licensed") the grant being $75,000, and the check for $3,700. I just knew something was fishy! I have a girlfriend who runs a bank, of course I brought the letter and check right over to her. Confirmed! FRAUD! I guess since I didn't fall for the grant they decided to try the lottery one on me! One thing I did notice though, both the envelopes, were exactly the same also! No return addresses, plastic windows and get this, both had CANADIAN stamps on them! The grant letter also had a Canadian address at the bottom of it's page-737 Fort Street-Victoria, BC V8W 2V1, Canada. The first thing my girlfriend said was "Why would the Canadians be involved in a U.S. citizens grant?" Anyway, just remember, nothing's really "free" anymore.
Comment by Diane - 3/25/07
Just received letter like the one above, but from Venture Lotto Commission Inc. , St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. But oddly enough, this came in a no return address envelope with a Canadian stamp. I was very tempted to deposit the $3,050 check that came from Ft Worth, Tx so that the balance of $50,248 could be released to me, but deep down I knew it was too good to be true. Instructions say that prize money needed to be claimed no later than the 3rd of April. Want I am going to do is take it to the bank next week & speak with the manager.
Diane from Michigan
Diane - thanks for the comment and for visiting my HubPages. Anything that seems to be too good to be true usually is and that is why it is at least a good idea to check it out. If you got one of these checks, others in your area probably have received them also and your bank manager has either seen others cash them and then get stuck having to repay it whent he checks turn out to have been stolen or has received notices about this type of check from top management. I have now noticed signs posted in the lobby of the bank I use warning about these checks and other types of scams. Also, when I signed on to my Western Union account yesteday to send money to my mother-in-law in Russia for her birthday, they had a notice warning about the other types of fraudulent Internet money schems that I wrote about in another hub http://hubpages.com/hub/Money_Laundering_Jobs_Aple Thanks again for the comment. Chuck
Hi Chuck, I too have received a letter stating I was a winner of unclaimed prize money for the 2007 sweepstakes draws. The letter headis Venture Lotto Commission Inc with the sponsers being Publishers Clearing House, Readers Digest and Online Games. It came in the mail Saturday 24, & I have til April 3 to deposit it. Thanks for this site. I am taking mine to my bank tomorrow. Soon as I started reading it I knew it was a scam!!
Kathy, NC
I recieved a check today from Venture Lotto Commission and called and talked to a "claim agent" named Steven Wells. I could hardly understand the guy because of his extremely thick accent (I hate that!) I asked him if the company he worked for had a BBB member ID# he could give me. All he said was "uuhhhhh...." so I asked to speak with his supervisor who conveniently was not available at the moment. Anyway the rest of my story reads the same as everyone else, I did not deposit the check and am so thankful to you Chuck for this site!!!!! God Bless you!!!
Hi Chuck, thanks for this information! I also received a letter today from Liberty Promotions Lottery, Inc, in St. Thomas. I thought it was wierd too, but I actually did register with Readers Digest, but it was last year. So, I called the guy, it was almost 10 oclock at night, and I was thinking it would be an answering machine or an automated message (I just wanted to see if it was legit). Well, the guy explained to me what to do, and then told me congratulations and hung up the phone. I was still uneasy, so I looked it up on the internet, and tada... it's fake. I'm so glad I did, cause my husband I were both thinking about what to do with our new found riches. It's is wrong, very wrong, and they aren't really stealing from these companies but from us. And I feel violated... and I'm wondering how they got my phone number, and now I want to call the poor company on the check (First Advantage Services), and let them know someone stole their information. Anyway, I hope this site stays first on my search engine so people can be aware. Hopefully no one gets scammed from this and have to pay for something they didn't do.
Last night I also recieved a letter from Venture Lotto Commision. It looked like a legit check. These people are good. Thank you for this site, because my husband and I looked the company name on the internet and found this info. I decided to actually contact BB&T Bank since this was the bank the funds were to be drawn on. The lady instructed me to bring the check to my bank. She said they are trying to catch these people. If you bring it to your bank they will forward info to BB&T or whatever bank is listed on the check. She also ran the routing # but I thing these people screwed up on was that they made the routing # 7 digits but they are 9!! So right off the bat there you know it is a fake.
Jami, Massachusetts
My wife just received the Venture Lotto Commission scam. I did a search and saw this blog. Thanks!!! I brought the letter to the local BB&T branch. They were much appreciative.
Thanks a million...make that $3,050 and a possible $56,700 for this information!!! How disgusting... and I hope these people get caught!!
Thanks for posting this information. Last night (3/29) I received my letter from Venture Lotto Commission and a check for $3050. The letter was the same as the one you posted. I thought is was suspicious because on 3/24 I received an email saying I had won the UK National Lottery held on the same date (3/22) as the one in the letter. Although I had enough sense to know that the email was a fraud, this letter with the check was so tempting! Thanks for all your research. I will be bringing this check to my bank. This has to stop!
Laura in Texas
Where's my check?! Looks like you hit a nerve with this hub! Thanks.
Ralph, thanks for the comment. Frankly I have been surprised, and pleased, with all the comments especially the ones that read the article and decided not to cash one of these checks that they had received.
I still check, but if you want to test it, I will endorse it and send it to you. Who knows, maybe by some fluke of fate my check is actually legitimate... lol!! Thanks again.
I received a letter today from Tower Processing Center 6400 Queen's Square St Thomas Virgin Islands 00754. They sent an assistance check of $2962 for taxes and adminstrative expenses. Mark Stevens @ Tower Processing Center is supposedly out of the United Kingdom but similar phone number of 1-902-412-9755. Canadian stamped and check had payer name of Bowne of New York out of New York. The phone number on the check is 519-991-3093. I called this number and no professional greeting just a "hello". I asked if the check was real he stated "yes but before you cash it make sure to call the number on the winning form". I did some research because of course it didn't sound totally legit and came across this hub "thank god" before I got myself into trouble. I contacted Bowne of New York, by the way, it was a diffterent phone number than on the check. I left a message for an accounts payable person to contact me if they want more info on the check. I also called the bank and they have been made aware. Thanks for this info. You saved a lot of us a major headache.
I too received a letter today from Tower Processing Center 6400 Queen's Square St Thomas Virgin Islands 00754. They also sent an assistance check of $2962 for taxes and adminstrative expenses. There was a Canadian stamp on this letter too. The bank was Mid Missouri Credit Union. I'm not calling any numbers...who knows if they can get you with phone charge too?..Thanks for the help here.-------------------- Liz ----------New York State
I received a letter 4 days ago in the name of Basic Finance And Security Company, and a check for 2800.00 they only asked for 2350.00 back for insurance and processing fees. But, it did have under the name of the company Lotto,Publishers Clearing House, Readers Digest, Sweepstakes, Internet and Casino Games. As some of the other letters it had an Canadian stamp and no return address...asked me to send 2350.00 to a Debbie Marino in Dunn, North Carolina in Money Gram or Western Union. The lady i spoke with had a very heavy accent. I also asked to speak with a manager and they were not in and told me to call back tomorrow between 9 and 10. The Csr rep, Hung up on me twice when i asked if this was a scam or if i said i did not understand what she was saying to me. I called her back and she told me that she thought i hung up on her....... The # of the company Basic Finance is 306-351-0052. And my letter is signed Sincerely, Graham Wright.
Thanks Everyone and Chuck for your hub
Patsy from Chicago.
I GOT A LETTER FROM VENTURE LOTTO COMMISSION INC STATING SPONSORS PUBLISHER CLEARING HOUSE, READER DIGEST AND ONLINE GAMES . THIS WOMEN BY THE NAME EMILY LEWIS STATED THAT I WON SHE SENT ME A CHECK FOR 3,050.00. I CALLED 1-902-412-9361 SHE ANSWERED AND TOLD ME THAT I WON PLEASE GO DEPOSITE THE CHECK IN MY ACCOUNT. THEN CALL HER AND SHE WILL TELL ME WHERE TO DEPOSITE IT.THE BANKS NAME WAS AOD FEDERAL CREDIT UNION BYNUM,ALABAMA 36253. BUT ON THE BOTTOM IT STATES PAYABLE THROUGH BB&T CHARLESTON,WV. WHEN YOU CALL HER IT STATES TO CALL HER ONLY BETWEEN 5:30PM-11:00PM EASTERN TIME M-F ONLY. THEN IT GIVES YOU A COMPLAINT NUMBER 1-902-412-9364. THE PHONE NUMBERS ARE ALMOST THE SAME. I HAVE CONTACT THE BBBUREAU.THE VENTURE LOTTO ADDRESS IS 9071 ESTATE THOMAS,HAVENSIGHT, ST THOMAS, VIRGIN ISLANDS00802 REGULTED BY ANTIGUA & BARBUDA FREE TRADE COMMISSION. IT IS A SCAM. I DIDNT GIVE IN TO THEM. BE CAREFUL.
I ALSO RECEIVED A LETTER FROM ALL STAR SERVICES LOTTO COMMISSION INC. LOCATED 1585 SPRING GARDEN, ST. JOHN, VIRGIN ISLANDS 00830. REGULATED BY ANTIGUA & BARBUDA FREE TRADE COMMISSION. THE LETTER ALSO STATES I WON 56,700.00 USD. MY CHECK IS FOR 3,150.00. THE CHECK SAYS OFFICIAL CHECK , FROM US BANK FIVE STAR SERVICE GUARANTEED. THE CHECK ALSO SAYS IT WAS ISSUED BY MONEYGRAM PAYMENT SYSTEMS, INC. P.O. BOX 9476 MINNEPOLIS, MN 55480. I REALLY THOUGHT THIS WAS A SCAM, JUST TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE!!! YOU KNOW I WANTED TO SCAM THE SCAM ARTIST, BUT IT WILL ONLY HURT ME!! THANKS FOR POSTING THE TRUE INFORMATION ABOUT THESE CREEPS!!!!
I too Received a check, but sad to say that i did deposit the check and its waiting to be cleared...i called the number back and they want me to money gram it to an address in Canada. i was like NO WAY this is seriously bullshit now! why am i sendng someone else money when they could of sent it themselves anyways i will call my bank to let them know not to clear it anymore. after reading this i know its bullshit now thanks.
S, thanks for your comment and sorry to hear that they almost got the money from you. This is becomming more and more common and I have been noticing signes posted at the teller windows of some banks that I have been in warning people about first depositing lottery checks from lotteries they haven't entered and as well as about following instructions to withdraw the money and sending it to a stranger via Western Union. Chuck
ProNor out of 1851 Derry Road East Mississauga, ont. is another scam. Phone number is 1-902-412-9361. Remember no one is going to give you money for free. The checks are out of Canada and take along time to clear. The promotion Manager is Willis T. Marshall. I called and as soon as I said I was a Detective they hung up on me.
Thanks for the update and comment. Checks drawn on Canadian banks and cashed in the U.S. do take longer than U.S. checks, even those drawn on out of state small town banks in the U.S., to clear so the scammers are trying to buy a little more time. I wouldn't be surprised if they were mailing checks drawn on U.S. banks to Canadians they are trying to scam as the same delays would apply to Canadian checks cashed in the U.S. Again, you are right, no stranger is simply going to send you a check with no strings attached. Thanks again for the comment. Chuck
That was a very good read .. but long too. ... Thanks
I received a letter on 4/21/07 that was dated 4/13/07. I have until 4/30/07 to claim winnings of $44,650.00. The cashier's check is in the amount of $2,350.00. The letter head has a palm tree on it and is from Pacific Financial, Inc. in Winnipeg, MB sponsor: LOTTO, READERS DIGEST, PUBLISHERS CLEARING HOUSE. The cashiers check is from First National Bank and Trust in Beloit, WI. Content is pretty much the same as previous letters shown above.
Thanks for your keeping the site up to date.
Karen
I am so happy to have found your comments today! I just got my winning notice and a check in the mail yesterday from the DIAMOND JEWEL SWEEPSTAKES. It came in an envelope with no return address and a canadian stamp. It is very similar to the letter Chuck posted, with only a few differences. It also claims to be a Publisher's Clearning House, Readers Digest, Online Casino, Online Sweepstakes affiliated thing. My check was in the amount of $3100 dollars, and the letter claims that I have won $65,000, a prize that is part of $390,00 shared between six of us. I knew it was too good to be true! I appreciate all your postings and warnings. I was about to call the number, but I think you all just saved me a lot of trouble and hassle! Thanks!
I also received a check from a law firm, I had an inkling to deposit it, one could be easily swayed if one doesn't see the problems you have outlined. I tore it after some time. The bank charges was the thing that stopped me, the banks won't warn us would rather let us deposit the checks first and charge us later. They should be blamed. Now they have the electronic facility they can check whether the funds are there in seconds. So, the banks love these scammers, they are also profiting from it.
cgull8m, Thanks for your comment. I am not sure that a bank can electronically check to see if a check drawn on an account at another bank has sufficient funds. They can check their own accounts but the scammers always use accounts at some out of the way bank and they usually use stolen checks. In the case I described, even if the bank could check the account before hand it would have had sufficient funds since the account belonged to a legitimate mid-size company and probably had a decent balance. The problem was that the check was a forgery - more than likely the scammers had gotten hold of a check from this company and then used their computer to create copies. The check would have been returned not because of insufficient funds but because it was a stolen check. As to the banks, the credit union I use has a written warning at each teller window warning customers about depositing checks from unknown persons or companies. They specifically mention lottery winnings from lotteries that the customer didn't enter and checks with instructions to deposit and immediately withdraw the funds to forward by Western Union. Also, in the case of my check, I wanted to learn more about the scam and how it worked and when I asked at the commercial bank I use the manager immediately filled me in on the fraud. The problem with the banks accepting these checks for deposit is that the checks are real and look legitimate. Look at the image of the check above that I received - to a bank teller or anyone else it looks legitimate. It was the accompanying letter and the fact that I had no reason to receive the check that tipped me off to the fraud behind it.
JUST RECEIVED ONE OF THOSE LETTERS, OF COURSE I WANTED TO CASH IT. SOME PART OF ME HOPED IT WOULD BE TRUE. I AM GLAD I DECIDED NOT TOO. I ALSO WENT TO MY BANK AND ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THIS COULD BE A SCAM. OF COURSE HE STATED THAT MOST LIKELY IT WAS, BUT IF I WANT TO PUT IT IN MY ACCOUNT I COULD. BUT HE COULD NOT GIVE ME A GUARANTEE THAT AFTER THE 11 DAY HOLD ON THE CHECK THAT THE CHECK WOULDN'T COME BACK ON ME WEEKS DOWN THE ROAD OR EVEN MONTH TO YEARS DOWN THE ROAD. THAT DIDN'T SET WELL WITH ME. SO I DECIDED TO DO SOME RESEARCH TO FIND OUT WHAT I WAS GETTING MYSELF INTO. THAT IS WHERE I FOUND THIS SITE. AND I AM REALLY GLAD IT IS OUT HERE. HERE IS THE NEW INFORMTATION THAT THESE SCAM PEOPLE OUR PRESENTING. THEY STATE THAT THERE FROM pROnOR ONTARIO LOTTERY GAMING CORPORTATION. AND INFORMED ME OF MY WINNINGS IN THE NORTH-AMERICAN SWEEPSTATKES LOTTERY HELD ON MARCH 26, 2007. THEN THE NEXT COUPLE OF PARAGRAPHS ARE THE SAME AS EVERYBODYS ELSES. I SUPPOSELY WON $250,000. THEY SENT ME A CHECK FOR $4,750 AND WANT ME TO PAY MY TAXES IN THE AMOUNT OF $2700. THE NUMBER THAT THEY GAVE ME WAS 19024129367 AND MRS. CAROL GATES WAS MY CONTACT PERSON. SHE SOUNDED VERY RESURING ON THE PHONE, BUT THINK THAT GO ME THE MOST WAS THE BACKGROUND NOISE. IT DIDN'T AT ALL SEEM LIKE A PLACE OF BUSINESS. THERE DIFFERENT MEN IN THE BACKGROUND SAYING ALL TYPES OF THINGS. OH AND THE PROMOTION MANAGER'S NAME WAS WILLIS T MARSHALL, LIKE THAT IS A REAL NAME. I WISH THERE WAS MORE I COULD DO, BECAUSE THERE TAKING PEOPLE HOPES AND PEOPLE'S MONEY. ME MYSELF AM A SINGLE MOTHER WITH TWO SMALL CHILDREN. I AM A FULL TIME STUDENT AND WORK PART TIME. THE THINGS I COULD DO WITH THAT MONEY. I AM JUST GLAD I WAS SMARTER THEN THEM BECAUSE THEY WOULDN'T HAVE FELT BAD IF THEY TOOK MY MONEY AND EVEN IF IT COSTED ME THE SHELTER, FOOD, ELECTRICITY, ECT... TO PROVIDE FOR MY CHILDREN. THESE PEOPLE HAVE NO HEART.
Funny I didn't know that kind of scheme :)
I still have the check on my lap as I'm writting this. This check is from Marriott International , Inc. in the amount of $3,190.00. I wanted to cash the check that looks real in any way but before doing that, I contacted my North American agent name Ms. Katherine MOSLEY (just like on the letter- last name all capitals). The first three calls, I get an answering machine that's full already as I'm not able to leave a message. By the way, this is also a number in Canada. I've checked the area code. The fourth try, I was able to speak to the agent and she assured me that everything is legal and ask
...me if I had cash the check, yet. give away right there. She was more interested on the check that I have more than congratulating me on the remaining money that she suppose to send me in the amount of $96,000. I told her that I would do more research and she said fine and that she would talk to me soon. Thanks to this website that I've gotten more info about these Scum bags. I'm not done with Ms. Mosley though, I will play along with her little scam on the phone tomorrow and I will ask her where I need to send the money. Wish me luck!
i got one too....i'd like to beat their terrorist bitch asses...i just hope i don't find one of those bitches thank you for this site for we in this country are beautiful sad dreamers
My grandson got a check his check is with a bank that i bank with. one of U.S. largest banks it is a real check or look to be . he cashed the check with no problem. it was for $2900.00 they gave him the money. i told him to hold off until we got more information but when in desparation (car broke down, phone off, rent,ect) he went an cashed it. it seemed to me that that the bank would know.the ck. is from the same bank he cashed it. god help us! the money is being used in good faith. they said that this money would have to be used to pay taxes on the $58800.00 so he decied not to take the big money and just cash the ck.he might have to pay the money back but it saved our behinds. we would not have been able to get a lone for that amount of money. so i thank his luckey stars.
E.W. Thanks for the comment and sorry to hear about your grandson's car. It is nice to hear that some good appears to have come out of this - I just hope the fees the bank levies for depositing a check that is returned will be too high. As to the bank knowing about the check being bad, if the check is real (and these usually are), there is no notice warning that the check has been stolen (which there usually is not as the company from wihich they have been stolen or copied has not yet discovered this) and there is money in the account to cover the check (again, these companies who have their checks stolen or copied like this usually are not aware until they reconcile their books at the end of the month) there is really no way for the bank to know the check is stolen. I hope everything continues to work out with this for your grandson. Chuck
DON'T CASH IT!!! It IS too good to be true. My under-age son received one of these letters and a legitimate looking check for $3,190. It was from MARRIOTT FINANCIAL SERVICES, 2665 TROUT LAKE ROAD, ON (CANADA) P1B 8K3, Tel: 1-705-0113; Fax 1-705-789-8272. I don't believe you should let the name fool you. After doing some research, sound like same thing with different names and adds. We did deposit the check. Thank goodness I came home and did some internet research. I called my personal banker to let her know I thought it may be a scam and she did the confirming that she needed to do. Called me back to let me know that it was indeed fraudulent! They reversed and didn't post.
Sorry-- cont'd-- Just want to save people-- anyone, the heartache and financial demise this could cause. I feel for anyone down on their financial luck or situation because this would be so tempting. Before taking anyone up on an offer that seems to good to be true, DO your checking before they SCREW your checking (acct.) Pray before you play (I did). God will take care of all your needs. Pray and listen. Just listen...
I also recieved a very similar check and notification as Vinny above. As a result of this great website - I am going to tear it to shreads right after posting this comment. Hard to believe thay would go as far as to use Marriott as their disguise. Thanks ALL!!!
Thanks for the comment Dave. As to using Marriott as their disguise, well, their goal is to cheat people out of their money so anything goes as far as they are concerned.
Hi Chuck, May 8, 2007
I too got a letter out of the box today. My letter was from COSMOS FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT GROUP. The content within the letter was pretty much the same as all the others. I supposedly won the international lottery promotions. There was a check in an envelope for $2950. I had to call a Leon Edward (from cosmos financial management group; an accredited agency to the publisher's clearing house) at 902 412 0246. YEA RIGHT!!! I called him because I was happy about getting the money and I just wanted to see if it was for real. NOT!!! He told me to deposit the check into my account, give it two days to clear, and then withdraw $2800 and send a money gram to a ALEX LINDO, 6025 DESOTO AVE. SUITE 500, HUSTON TEXAS, 77091. After I've sent the money gram to Alex, call him (LEON) back with the money gram ref. # and then he'll release my remaining $58,150.00. I've done nothing yet, I wanted to search the internet and see what I could find out and then I stumbled onto this site. I knew it was too good to be true. Now I'm wondering what I should do next. Should I go to the authorities or should I call the police in Houston, TX and tell them this information? Do you have any suggestions of how I should handle this? Keep in mind that I have until May 14 to respond. I'm thinking that I should deposit the check just to see if it clears but my bank takes 5 days to clear a check and that's three days more than what LEON said.
Keyshah, thanks for the comment. I strongly advise you NOT to deposit the check. From what I have been told, the check will probably clear, however, it will probably take a month or so for the company on which the check has been written to discover that it was stolen and forged. They will then report this to their bank and it will be returned to your bank and you will have to repay the money. Even if you leave the money in the bank for a couple of months so as to have it when the check comes back you will still probably find that your bank assesses fees against your account for depositing a bad check. Whenever you deposit a check that is returned the banks generally assess fees (sometimes as high as $50 or more) for the costs they incur in having to manually process the item.
I noticed that the telephone number that they had you call was from Canada, but I was surprised to see that they want you to send the money to Dallas, TX as these people generally want to get the money out of the country fast. However, the person your are supposed to send it to is probably an innocent victim who thinks he is an agent for a reputable company (see my hub http://hubpages.com/hub/Money_Laundering_Jobs_Aple in which I describe how these foreign criminals are hiring unsuspecting people in the U.S. and other developed countries to help them move stolen funds out of these countries and to Eastern Europe or Asia where the criminals are operating from). More than likely address you were given is a private mailbox rental service and the Suite number is the individual's mailbox number.
Since the deadline these people gave you for acting on your check is still almost a week away, you could email or call the police in Dallas, Texas and give them the information you have about the person and address there. While that person is probably an innocent victim, the police still might be able to both get the contact information for where he forwards money to abroad as well as inform him that he is working for a criminal organization. You might also want to inform the police in Halifax, Nova Scotia in Canada. I went to http://www.intelius.com and did a reverse phone number search on 902-412-0246. Of course, no name or address was available but I did learn that the number is for an entity located in Halifax. Again, they may be able to trace that person down.
Don't expect too much from the police as, in addition to investigating more serious crimes, these scammers are difficult to catch because they come into a city, set up the operation, run it for a few weeks and leave making them difficult to track down and catch. In addition, they divide the operation up with each part operating in a different part of the world and in some parts use innocent and unsuspecting victims to front for them (like the bank whose checks they stole and are using and probably the Dallas contact person).
If you do decide to report this please let me know if anything comes from it. But, whatever you do, don't deposit the check as it will end up costing you money. Speak to the branch manager at you bank if you want and he/she will probably tell you the same thing. Good luck.
Chuck
Hi Chuck, May 12, 2007
Well, what I did was contact the branch manager of the bank tha the check came from. (Castle Bank) I told her that I had a check from that bank and how much the check was for. She then asked me for the check # and I told her. She also said that she wanted me to make a copy of the check and letter and fax it to her number. She said that they've been building a case againgt these people and this will only help the investigation. She also stated that they have been getting many checks from these people and unlike others, I am the only one that actually called them first before depositing or cashing the check. She thanked me for calling and informing them and she apologized that the money wasn't for real and for me to keep. I told her it was no problem and I'm just glad that I could help.
new one going on....2350.00 from Pacific Funds Managements...same scam
I got a check from Life Settlement LLC in Baltimore, MD drawn off M&T Bank. Glad i did some research!
Just received this same letter (virtually) although the name of the firm is Allen & Heath "Financial Services". I knew it was too good to be true so I did some web research and discovered this page. Thank you Chuck for shedding some light on the subject, as I wondered why I couldn't just cash the check and keep the money.
It turns out Allen & Heath is a legitimate manufacturer of audio mixing equipment based out of Agoura Hills, California, though the return address in the letter is 2667 Trout Lake Road, North Bay, Ontario. Telephone number is 705-350-0125. Also, I was suspicious because the check is issued from HSBC Bank out of Plattsburgh, NY (???). Seems odd a California based company would be using a bank in New York.
Anyway, I won't be depositing this thing, thanks mostly in part to finding this article. Be advised, several people I know have gotten the same thing in the mail recently, though they all seem to vary slightly in content.
Just got mine over the weekend, from Pacific Funds Managements. Thanks for the website - glad logic ruled over greed (this time =)
Hi!! wow, I was just about to cash my check but something told me to look it up in the net, and thank you for posting this information.. I recieved something similar like your I had the same intensions everyone of them :) mine it comes from (DIAMOND JEWEL SWEEPSTAKES)PLUBLISHER'S CLEARING HOUSE, READER'S DIGEST, ONLINE CASINO, ONLINE SWEEPSTAKES
2749 LAURIER BLVD OTTAWA, ON K5M 3H9
(613) 261-7954 and I call and this guy with kids in the background answerd ha! funny no company name no hello nothing all he wanted was to know when I deposit my check. He is probably still waiting for my money to show up in his account..... Thanks for taking the time to help others!!!!
GOD BLESS YOU!!!!!!!!!
Just recived a check from Diamond Jewel Sweepstakes. Realy wanted to cash it, but insted decided to go on line. Lo and behold. It is a scam. I will be calling the Community First National Bank in West Plains Mo. tomorrow. $3100.00 for $65000.oo too bad.... I, like every body else could use it. Florida
two months ago a similar scam company send me a e-mail. and asked for my replay. I did replay and after they asked me to deposit to their account 100 $ and they would send me 24.000 $ :D ... but i am not stupid like that. And if u see e-mails like that just send it to junk folder. Never replay to them
I should have known. I deposited the damn thing. After reading this, I called the bank and they said that they would put a hold on it to keep me from getting into any trouble.
I thank God for giving me patience and the wisdom to know when something is a fluke. I received my letter in the mail about 3 days ago. I kept reading the letter and looking at the check over and over again to check for legitimacy because I definitely needed the money at this time. Although the check appeared to be legit, it's actually the letter that would make any person think twice. Mine was also from Allen & Heath financial holdings for $3,175.00 wjith the possibility of receiving $68,000.00. However, when I kept calling the number, Ms. Judy Freeman's voice mail was always full. She finally answered once and when I said hello, she quickly switched her phone back to the filled voice mail message. Besides, I think that if I won something, just take my fees out from the start and send me the rest. Why send a check only to have to return a gigantic portion of it when they could have taken that out already?
Anyway, I'm glad that I decided to investigate further. Thank you for this blog. I almost became another victim of this scam.
Heres My Question a friend just got her check .. and Like E.W. Above .. she is in a bad finacial situation .. and could use the money .. if she were to cash the check and the bank did give her the money ... of course never sending these poeple any of that money... and other than { $50-$100 } bank fees are there any other Repircutions ...
Becuase , she thinks that is a very low interest rate for the loan, she cant get ........
JW, Thanks for the comment. I understand your friend's problem and the temptation to cash the check and use the money to solve her immediate problem knowing that she will have to repay the money plus bank fees.
Assuming the bank only charges $50 - $100 for the returned check, that would still be a rather high rate on a check that probably totals $4,000 or less as your friend will only have the money for a month or two at the most before it is returned as stolen and the bank demands that the funds be repaid along with the fees that the bank levies.
As to other reprecussions, I am not a lawyer and can't give legal advice. However, since banks are insured by the F.D.I.C (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) which is an agency of the Federal Government, the F.B.I. does investigate cases involving bank fraud and your friend may have some problems if the F.B.I. determines that she knowingly deposited a stolen check. The fact that your friend knows that the check is stolen and she still cashes it with the intention of using the money until the bank seeks to get it back, may result in some legal problems for her. Honesty is probably the best policy here and that would mean not cashing a check that she knows to be stolen. Chuck
we recieved this one to the Roseburg Oregon area. The company logo on the check is American International South Insurance Company and the amount is 3175.00. The top of the letter says Northern Alliance Financial Institution, the address on the bottom is 2667 Trout Lake Rd. the same as the others, they did switch what you are paying for to "administration and processing fees" and they give you a fake claim number. My mother in law actually recieved this and I just knew something was hinky, had to look it up, thank you for posting your experience. Who should we contact about this check? to report the fraud?
Lindsay, Thank you for your comment. As to reporting it, you can call the fraud division of your local police and/or sheriffs department. You could also contact American International South Insurance Company and let them know that their checks are being forged. But don't expect much because, as I have noted in other comments above, these people not only divide the operation between multiple jurisdictions (and sometimes countries) but they come into an area, run the fraud and then exit before police are aware of their presence. The best thing to do is be alert for things like this and warn other people to do the same. Realistically, law enforcement can do very little to protect us (their web pages and other publications will tell you this) so it is up to each one of us to resist the temptation to take advantage of something for nothing.
Chuck
I just received a check in the sum of $4685, from Jackpot Finance Gaming. The check has a legitimate bank on it, Bank of Holly Springs, in Holly Springs,MS. I myself am also tempted to cash this check, but I know it is a gimmick. They say that these funds are to cover my processing and clearence fees, for me to get $38,000. YEAH RIGHT. One thing for sure, that check got my pockets burning.
I received a Check of $3,175. 00 to Deposit, Letter from Allen & Heath Financial Holdings, North Bay, ON (705) 350-0125,,, to call Judy Freeman, North American Agent, Must Claim my 'Unclaimed Sweepstakes from Readers Digest/ PCH by
June 1st, 2007. The Check WAS REAL, with Water Marks on the Back. The Letter said I needed to use part of this money to Pay Processing Fees.
Thanks for Being hear, with your F.Y.I. I was sooooooooo tempted.
Best Regards, Karen in S.C./USA
I got one from Allen & Heath financial holdings....
I am so happy I decided to punch the name into google!!!!!!!!
I did figure it was a scam, but, a check with my name on it....hmm....
hard to resist. Now I certainly will.
Hi, i just received a check for $3,120.00 then i read the letter. I then took a deep breath and thought to myself , could my prayers be answered God? will all of my financial worries be over? Then i read it two more times and i even went across the street in order that friend counl read it ,due to a accountant and even she wondered. She suggested that i get on the internet and do a resreach and thats when i came across you info. Thank you for all your info and may God bless you for letting others know. p.s it was from LOTTO,PUBLISHERS CLEARING HOUSE,READERS DIGEST, SWEEPSTAKES & INTERNET CASINO. I HAVE TO ADMIT IT MADE ME LIVE IN DREAM WORLD FOR A FEW MIN. THANKS NANCY
I also received a letter from Northern Alliance Financial Institute with a check from American International South Insurance Company. I also could use some $$ now. My wife asked if she should deposit the $$. I told her I thought it was a fraud, but, I would check it out. I was amazed that an insurance company would send me $$. I would call them but there is not a number or an address on the check, just a policy number. I called my "North American agent", Mr. Michael Livingston and like others he wanted to know if I had deposited the check yet. I told him no, but, I was going to that afternoon. His excitement level went up and he made a mistake. He told me that I would receive my 68k after I deposited it, but, I should not mention it to anyone since he was not going to inform the IRS of my winnings. I have had dealings with the IRS before, not fun ones, so I really knew this was a fraud then. I thanked him and told him I was heading to the bank.
Thank you so much. I just recieved a check yesterday from Diamond Jewel Sweepstakes. They used Publishers Clearing House as a rep. On the check they say they bank from Bank One. I called the bank yesterday and explained the situation. I asked them if they could tell me if it was a correct account. I took a few minutes for them the look up the information but when they found what they were looking for, they told me the account was closed. Today i called the number on the letter and asked them what the deal was. They told me that i needed to deposit the check right away. I told them that I called their bank and the account has been closed. Can you believe they had the nerve to hang up on me? Anyway the check was for 3,120 and I could have used the money but I guess so can a lot of people. I'm just glad I didn't fall for their scheme.
I received a check from Pacific Funds Management...also used Publishers Clearing House & Readers Digest as a rep. I called the bank the 2450.00 cashiers check was drawn on...and no such routing number . The letter I received was the same , to deposit the check and send the money in. These people should be shot.
Hi
we received one too. Pacific Funds Management, Publishers Clearing House, Readers Digest Sweepstakes & Internet Casino. Check was $2450 but we WON $68,000! I wish!This letter was sent from 7325 Chauncey Avenue, Tor. Ont. Phone: 604-338-2589.
I faxed all the information that I received from Pacific Funds Management over to the bank that the cashiers check was drawn on...so maybe they can do something.
Hi Chuck
Glad to here you didn't fall for the scam. I'm amazed how these lowlife still manage to con people into thinking they have won something for nothing. I guess they play on peoples greed/desperation. I am a member of the legitimate UK lotto syndicate V-W-D, and I have heard stories whereby scammers have sent out similar letters using my syndicates name. They are very convincing and authentic looking but the old adage is true. If you haven't bought a ticket you cant win a prize. End of story.
Here in the UK if anyone receives a similar letter and wants to check it out they can visit our governments Lottery Councils Website.
http://www.lotteriescouncil.org.uk
Thanks again for the post Chuck, lets hope this helps save someone some heartache
I received a letter and check today allegedly from Super Win Universal Gaming (also allegedly affiliated with PCH). Since I never had even heard of Super Win, much less entered a lotterly helf by ECASINO, I was more than bit suspicious. I just found your website and am wondering what I should do next, other than tearing up the letter and check. Any suggestions about how to nail these creeps?
j
I received a letterand check today similar to the ones above. My was titled "COUNTY SHOPPERS SWEEPSTAKES" there was a claim number and it explained I had consequently won the 2nd Category of the draw to be paid out in a lump sum of USD 68,000.00. My Cashiers check to cover Accounting, tax and clearance fees was in the Amount of $2450. on a check made from Whitney National Bank in New Orleans.
I knew it was too good to be true. It says my name was randomly picked from US Shoppers list in North America. That was the first flag of doubt. The second one was a grammer error in the third paragraph which stated "These Fees Has to be paid..." Then I wanted to know why I had to call a long distance number Area code 902 to do anything with this money. And I have 2 weeks to claim the prize.
I knew this was a scam but it looked too real. But as they say if it looks too good to be real it probably is. So I called a few people, read them the letter and they agreed with me it was a fake of some sort.
I am so glad I came on the internet and found this site and a few others that describe similar storys. They all have the "Publishers Clearing House, Readers Digest Sweepstakes & Internet Casino company.
How nice it would have been to have this money but it is as worthless as the paper it is written on. Tomorrow during business hours I will start a letter writing campaign to the authorities to let them know of this scam.
I hope people don't get suckered into it but I know there will be many. Especially the poor souls who really desperately need this money as an answer to their prayers. Thank God I am not one of those!
Just thought I would share this too. Since I did a search for the "Country Shoppers Sweepstakes" and came up blank. It wasnt until I put in the bogous company that I got to this website.
Thanks to all who have posted to reassure me and others that this is truly a scam!
Shiela, GG, - Thanks for your comments.
Shiela, as to what you can do, realistically there is not much. As I have said in other comments on this page, these people operate across multiple jurisdictions and make it a practice to start a scam, make some quick money and exit (note that your letter indicated that you had to cash the check within a very short time). This makes it very difficult for law enforcement to catch these people. Before law enforcement can investigate and track them down they are gone.
Further, in the case I wrote about the checks were stolen from a small country bank in Missouri, the letter was mailed from somewhere in the U.S. but office address on the envelope was a P.O. box on the island of Gibraltar in Europe, the telephone number I was instructed to call was in Nova Scotia (Canada) and I am sure that if I had followed through and wired them the money that they were asking for, that would have gone to an account in Eastern Europe. Each one of these is a different legal jurisdiction and trying to coordinate an investigation involving multiple international jurisdictions, let alone track criminals down within a period of 2 weeks or less is nearly impossible.
You can contact the bank on which the check is drawn to let them know that someone is stealing the checks and you can inform your local law enforcement about the existance of the scam. But the best thing you can do is first, be suspecious (as you were) of any promises of something for nothing, and, second, tell other people to be careful as well. So long as there are people who are willing to cash these checks and forward the "taxes and fees" to the crooks, these criminals will remain in business. Once people stop falling for their crimina schemes, they will go out of business.
Occasionally law enforcement will get lucky and catch some of the dumber members of these operations. But, relying on law enforcement alone to stop these schemes makes no more sense than expecting to be able to grab your 2 year old child and prevent him/her from being hurled through the windshield of you car traveling 60 or 70 miles per hour on the freeway when it collides with another car - use a car seat instead. The same here, the odds are against law enforcement being able to protect us against these schemes - so use common sense and knowledge instead.
I'm glad both of you were able to get information in time and avoid losing money in this scam. Chuck
I received a letter and check today(2450.00) from Pacific Funds Management with directions to deposit the check, wait for it to post, and then pay the fees in order to collect the remaining 68, 000. I sat there staring at the letter and check, bewildered by the seemingly real check. I called the number and they had me on hold for some time, which I used to look up information on the internet. Once I came upon all the information that this was fraud, I hung up. The call was to ontario so I'm sure there will be fees associated with that, but far less than if I would have gave into my intense desire to drive straight to the bank and deposit that check!!!!
Great story, thanks!
just received my letter today for my 68,000, with a check for 2450.00. i called the number in ontario and was asked for my name and telephone number, they are going to return my call after they look up my claim number. haha, i even called back and told him i had heard of this scam, what a joke
i just recieved my check today.it appears to be a cashiers check from bank of america.i'll be taking the check and letter to that bank in the morning.i'll respond back with thier reply.
Just received a check for $3,150.00 today like most of the others from Nordik Financial Institution. The address again was 2667 Trout Lake Road, ON. The gimick on this is that I was lucky winner of "unclamied prixe money" for $182.000.00. The check received was suppose to assist me in covering all clearance and administrative fees. We too had a special claim number. Boy does he check look offical. Its against the Bank of America, San Antonio, TX. I check the back and it says that it is a Padlock design with simulated watermark, but putting up to the light I saw nothing. Thanks for all of the previous postings, it saved me from trying to collect my winnings! ;-)
the check i recieved was from bank of america for 3150.00.i took the check to that bank today and they said it was a fake check .they took copies of it to forward to other branches.they showed me a real cashiers check from them and there were noticable differences.
I received letter and check from Allen and Health Financial Holdings contact of Judy Freeman at 705-350-0125. The letter stated I won 68,000 just depost the enclosed check of $3175.00 into account and wait to clear. I then was told to send $2920 to another contact person in North Carolina to process. I then contacted Judy and was told 65,000 would be delivered to me in person to stay home. I did all the following, now I am told the check returned as insuffient funds to my bank. I tried to reach Judy. Guess what!!! Voicemail is full of course. I was scammed big time and I have to pay my bank the $3175.00. Please learn from my mistake.
Thank you sooo much for this site! Thank god that I don't read my junk mail.I didn't open it until the date had passed.I called and got the voice mail..all day. I knew then that something was up.So I looked Allen & Heath up and found you. Thanks agian.
Kim
These jerks are so stupid they used the same telephone (902 412 8972) number in the Chuck's letter and all I had to do is google the number which then linked me to this page.
Thanks Chuck.
I have received soooooooooooo may emails informing me that I have won millions . Yes i did reply but when they says that I have to pay additional charges insurred like freight and insurance charges then they can release the funds. I get to think again. Im not that stupid. I live in Malaysia, if i convert all the charges set then I have to pay triple. I even got a job offer from UK that i didn't apply for, the funniest thing is that i have to pay 20 percent of the flight. I was elated but after being inform I have to pay more, forget it. These people, if i don't pay a cent, they will find another way to scam the pant out from under you.
Just received one today,June 21,2007 from Super Win Universal Gaming, Ottawa Ont.References to Lotto, Pulishers Clearing House, Readers Digest, etc. $68,000 prize, $2980 check.
Ed
I am so thankful I did some research. The letter sent to me was from "APEX Financial Services" 250 Consumers Road, Suite 211 Orangeville, ONT W3B4F5. The Claims Agent was Mr. Melvin Ortega. When I called Melvin Ortega I could not understand him, It appeared as if he were on a speaker. I requested many times to speak more clear however, it did not change. I wonder if this too is a ploy so that their voice is not recognizable if caught.
My wife received a letter today as a "lucky winner of unclaimed prize money" from "indemnity financial" based out of Chantilly, Va claiming to be a subsidiary of Travelers Indemnity Co. The check for $3165.15 is drawn from Citibank Delaware and the watermark on the back IS present. (how do the do that??)
The instructions on the letter are nearly identical to those described above. The check is to "assist her in financing her international clearance fees". Number to call is 705-350-0159 no later than July 4th 2007.
Absolutely amazing (and reprehensible) that these thieves are able to duplicate these checks so realistically and take advantage of people this way. Sure hope as many of them are caught and punished as possible.
Thanks for the site, Dave
got one three days ago. A nice check for 2980. Could win 50000. Came from Payment Trust Services in London. The check was from Carver Federal Savings Bank. I am sending the check back to them signed, Not Stupid!
THANKS
hey,i got the letter too, what a fake, thank you guys for sharing this information with us, thanks god we have internet to solve our qestions
Wow. I thought I had done all my research on two such letters I received. One for Sixty five thousand and the other for Fifty thousand. My husband and I examined the letters and the check. Held on to them. Made our phone calls as per letter waiting for them to request money or a credit card number.
Still sounded to good to be true so I decided to do a search on the internet for the Companies. They were legit. Still wanting to be a skeptic tonite I did a search for "scans and the companies name". When I did that...I found your site. My letters are identical to yours. Checks are as well. Thank You....You just proved to me that I was right to be skeptical. I will now take this to the authorities so that they can alert the companies that these checks might have been stolen from and alert them.
Hello, Just got a letter in the mail today from Canada but the check for $2,996.84 is from The Las Olas Company in Fort Lauderdale Florida claiming I was selected through a computerized ba;;pt suste, drawm from Readers Digest, Publishers Clearing House, Online Sweepstakes, Internet Games etc. I supposedly won $57,000.00 and a winner for the 2007 sweepstakes draws. The phone # I called was in Saskatchewan Canada. (With a claim #) Anyone else get a check from The Las Olas Company, Inc. in Fort Lauderdale Northern Trust Bank Check ??????
Man goog thing u do your homework that could have been bad news after a month or so...
Awesome information! I once won a sweepstakes from McDonald's. If how they handled it was any indication, if you do win something, you'll either receive your notification via Fed Ex or certified USPS or UPS. If it comes automatically in the mail, with no tracking system such as delivery confirmation or certification, I'd say it's instantly suspect. I'm so cynical these days that I didn't believe the McDonald's one was real and called their corporate offices to make sure. And even then I made her repeat to me that it wasn't a joke. LOL!
I recently received a phone call from a rather obnoxious man who informed me I was eligible for a free gas card. Mmhhmmm, I said, sure. He simply needed my credit card info for a one time shipping fee. Uh huh, I said: click. It is crazy to think people might actually give out this information!
My boyfriend received one of these letters also stating that he had won a certain amount of money and enclosed was a cashier's check printed on Bank of America paper. I was very leery of this check. He took it to the bank today and they were actually going to cash the thing!! My whole issue at this point is why are the bank tellers and officals not trained properly to look for these tyoes of scams? I started to research and found this site. Thank you for posting this onhere. We are goingto take the check and the letter to the bank tomorrow to let them know that their bank is being targeted now by scam artisit.
Stacie,
Thank you for your comment. I, too, have received a few calls like this and, like you, didn't give them my credit card. However, these may not be scams in the sense that the intent is to simply steal from you. Out of curiosity I heard them out just to see what was going on. The free gas card appeared to be legitimate and the request for your credit card number was to sign you up for some sort of buying club where you would get discounts every time you purchased at participating vendors. In return for the discounts they would bill your credit card each month for your membership fee of $X per month. If you make a lot of purchases each month at the participating vendors this could save you some money over and above the monthly fee. However, for most people the savings is not that great and the monthly fee (usually around $10 - $20) usually small enough to be overlooked causing you to forget to make the phone call to cancel it. I personally don't think these offers are worth the long term cost and, even when they are, you can usually find another way to get discounts without having to pay. But, unlike the lottery scams, these things are both legal and legitimate despite their rather dubious marketing tactics. Chuck
T - thank you for visiting my HubPages and for your comment. You were smart to question the check, but did you or your boyfriend ask the teller or manager if there might be something wrong with the check? If you will take a look at my check above you will see that it is a real check from a real company and the word "lottery" doesn't appear on it. The only problem with the check was that it was forged. The company whose name is on the check is both real and legitimate (they were a victim like me) and the bank account on which it is drawn is a legitimate business bank account. In my case, I went to the bank manager and mentioned the words "lottery check" and she instantly knew what it was about. A teller probably would have said something also if I had mentioned the word "lottery" when I presented it. The fact is, I could have been a sales rep for Gold Crest Distributing (the name on the check) and this was my commision check, I could have been a customer who returned merchandise for some reason and this was my refund, etc. Some banks do post signs in their lobbies warning people about these scams but, unfortunately, too many people either fail to read them or are so focused on their lottery winnings that they don't pay attention to the signs. Thanks again for sharing your experience. Chuck
I just recieved a check today for 3,100.00 also. I was happy and wary at the same time. I wanted to check it out first and went online to find out some info. After coming across your website, I see now I was right it is a scam. The only thing that I did extra that I noticed others didn't do was to reply to an email from Canada or somewhere that said I won a lottery and to email them back with my address, my age, and my nationality, which was weird. Thats when I got the letter about 3 days later. This one was from the SUPER WIN UNIVERSAL GAMING, and it also said publishers clearing house, readers digest, etc. I am just upset that it came during a time when we needed the money. I ended up just taking the check to a local bank that I am not affiliated with and they said they would send it to their hub for reporting. Again, thanks for the insight and I hope we can do something to stop these people from taking advantage of us here in the US.
Honestly,I didn't have to 'try' to read this article.It was one of the most interesting non-commercial articles I read in recent times and very informative too.Scammers are getting smarter and I don't think that trend will change.The only way their moves could be countered is perhaps by spreading the word when we discover a crafty scam.Thanks for this informative article and thanks for making it so interesting!
PRUDENCE FINANCIAL, INC. , The latest name for the same old scam, the check was drawn from SUNTRUST BANK against the account of MAGNOLIA ARABIANS. Where do these scumbags stop, I hope good people don't contribute to this unlawful endeavor.
I get to add another entry in this 'sweepstakes'. Yesterday I received a business letter with no return address and Post Canada. While I have relatives in Canada, I haven't had a ny business contacts there for a number of years, so I was intrested as to what was inside.
Opening I found the sweepstakes "final notification" letter and the check. Looking more closely I found that the company on the letterhead was Rainbow Financial Trust, the company on the check was Rainbow Light (appearantly a legit vitamin/health products company in Florida). Both had the same Florida Address, but the letterhead lists Ontario, Canada phone numbers. Further inspection showed the check to be drawn on Comerica Bank - California.
So, between Canadian postmark and telephone numbers, florida address and California bank, this all added up to be too good to be true. So, I Googled the info.
results: Rainbow Financial Trust - no listing
Rainbow Light - appears to be a vitamin and health product company in Florida
705-350-0200 - no listing
705-789-8272 - found this hub
I cannot believe that this scam has been going with the same fax number for over six months.
Much as I could use the money, I will heed the advice and experiences of the previous posters here. Although, I think I will try notifying any legitimate intrested parties that I can, to contibute what I can to shutting down at least this one scam.
Chuck, thanks for starting this hub.
Mike13, Baltimore MD US
I got a check in the mail with a letter from sun trust finance in halifax nova scotia canada the number on the letter was 778-316-1454 has anyone else received one like this?
Probably one of the latest Dated July 5th From "Finter Savings & Trust Inc , Nassau, Bahamas. Everything on the letter is about the same as all of the letters received previously. I've search all of the key words in the letter and came up with all kinds of stuff tha lead me to beleive that this was scam" Digest, Publishers Clearinf House, Sweepstakes , Columbus Bank and Trust, which is a affiliate of Synovus Financial Corp. Looked them up to and found some negitive information on them too. It just kept getting worse the more I looked.I even search the name "Cindy Miller" who turned out to be a legitimate person because she is a LPGA Golf Pro. The even had the gall to her name. Unbeleivable! Here is the number I was suppose to call 1-902-412 1319 She sounded like she had an accent from the Bahamas. There last statement on the letter was "Once again congratulations from all our staff and thank you for your trust in our services" Ok that really got me PO'd Maybe a lot of you out there thouoght of but didn't say, How do we get even, How do we do something to stop these crooks. I get pretty fired up when some is trying to steal my hard earned money and I do want to put thse people where they belong, In Jail. I will write my congressman and my state rep for starters , but where to go from there. I guess the FBI. I called them about an internet fraud about a year ago and they got back with me in about 45 mins. I was impressed. Its a start and if everyone did this someone will get the picture. Oh by the way he was a very friendly young guy and was very helpfull. Try it. Lets make a statement and fight back.
Hey there,
I am sooooooooo glad that you posted this article. Of course we all could use an extra 40+ thousand dollars and today my fiance and I recieved one of these letters. Again it was from Readers Digest, Publishers Clearing House, Online Sweepstakes, Internet games ect. Being the forever skeptic, after I freaked out and thought we had actually won something, I decided to check the net, my next step would have been to talk to a bank manager about the concerns over a fraudulant check. Thieves may be becoming more sophisticated, but then again, obviously so are the intended vitims. Having said that, though, I am sure there are many individuals out there who are becoming victims of this type of sceme. Anyone here know if there is a criminal case against these people?
My wife recieved the same basic setup in the mail today ..... glad we both was worried and did some research on it ....... they are now using Fortune Lottery Gaming Corportation as there name we got a check for 3,625.00 and was told we won 50,000 so they are changing names but the setup is all the same. thanks again for this post and the info you put out there with 4 Kids and my wife this would have basically kicked us to the streets, got to love the greed of some people out there.
Thank you guys for saving my time! 2 minuts on the net saved me hours and much grief
Thank You for posting your information. My husband recieved a letter and check for 3975.00 from Winners Reward Program Network. I called the number on the letter and spoke to the man that was stated on the letter; he wasn't concerned that I was calling instead of my husband but was more concerned that I get the check to the bank as fast as possible, thats when I started looking you up on the internet...Thanks Again.
i received a letter fromTRIDELTA FINANCIAL PARTNERS, IN TORONTO, CANADA. IT WAS DATED 7 JULY ON SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2007. IT WAS ABOUT A SCAM OF A AWARD NOTIFICATION. ALSO WAS A TREASURERS CHECK FOR THE AMOUNT OF 3,975 DOLLARS. I STILL HAVE THIS INFO WHICH I AM THINKING TURNING OVER TO THE PROPER AUTHORITIES.
My son received a final award winning notification from Rainbow Financial Trust. As I have read so many of you good folks letters I'm sure this falls right in line with your winning letters. My son has not lived here in about 5 years. Here comes this nice letter with all the promises and warning to keep it a secret until they process the claim along with a nice check for $3188.20 to cover the international clearance fee. He is going to win $58000 is that not nice or what. In checking out Rainbow Financial Trust there were scores of letters entitled RIP off. Beware theere are thiefs out there.
Thanks for posting this it was very benefical, I also recieved a similar letter in the mail. I will admit i was excited because my car just died, my daughter's birthday is coming up and my baby is due 9/7/07 so I called this man to "verify" the check and i grilled him he was pretty thorough and stuck to his story and he congradulated me about 10 times. So i told him everything i just mentioned above and he said this couldn't have come at a better time for you. I thought he was being sympathic towards me but obvisously he could care less. So I'm broke with no car, a birthday coming up and baby due but i'm happy i don't have to pay back any money I don't have, once again thank you for the info-nikki
Hey Chuck
I receive those checks at least once every three weeks :-). They immediately go to the trash. I'm just always wondering, why in the world they do that. Strange!!
Tim
Hi I'm from Australia and have received one of these letters from Reader's Digest Finance Department informing me that I COULD be the confirmed sole winner of a $55000 Gold Number Giveaway. I was suspicious and thought this was too good to be true so I did some research and found your site. It's very co-incidental that the cash prize is $55000 isn't it. Anyway I am waiting for the so called confirmation package to arrive and was wondering if there was any way of trapping these scammers to alert unsuspecting victims.
Tony, thans for visiting my Hub and for the comment. Unfortunately, if you check you will probably find that each part of the scammers operation is located in a different place - usually another state/province or country and none of them in the same legal jurisdiction as you. This makes it difficult to coordinate the legal authorities in the various
jimmythejock says:
16 months ago
To be honest chuck i would probably have cashed the cheque,but wouldn't have contacted the number,and the police would be at my door now lol.....jimmy