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Sweepstakes Scam

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By Lady LaShonda



InterwinnServices Inc. 101-South Florida Ave-Lakeland, FL 33801

(North American Sweepstakes and Promotion CO)

(Unclained Prize Division)

Tel:1(403) 667-6919

S           C           A           M           !

 Hello Everyone,

This is another scam that I must report to you all for your safety. IF YOU EVER RECIEVE A LETTER LIKE THIS, DISPOSE OF IT.

CLAIM NUMBER: WIN-525-1207

NB: FINAL NOTICE

We are pleased to inform you that you are one of the lucky winners in the second category of the Charitable Jackpot Draws and a Compensation Draw Sweepstakes also known as the North American Direct Sweepstakes held on January 04, 2007.Entry KU-300-Y24 was attached to your name and matched the first five lucky number 9-79-82-4-18 hence making you a winner! You have therefore been approved for a lump sum of $270,000.000 (TWO HUNDRED SEVENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS) payable to you by Certified Check, and will be delivered to you by our Special Courier Complany.

Interlink Services Inc. has been contacted by the North American Direct Sweepstakes to find winners who have not yet claimed their winnings and assists them through the claiming process. Please call your claims agent immediately upon receiving this document to start the claming process:

CONTACT THE CLAIM AGENT

JEO WALTER    1 (403) 667-6919

The office hours are, Monday-Friday..............7am to 5pm (Pacific Standard Time) Saturday-9am to 2.30pm (Pacific Standard Time)

Attached is a check of US $4,150.00. Available for the payment of the Govt. Service Tax and Insurence.

The total amount is $3,150.00 to be paid through MONEYGRAM.

ATTN, You've probably daydreamed about opening your front door to find the prize patrol waiting outside., ready to hand you the giant check that will change your life forever. Please do not act on this until you speak with your claim agent for further instructions on how to claim your winnings within 10 business days.

CAMAL ARTHUR

Vice-President, Global Operations

His stamped signature

APPROVED

This is the exact letter my husband received. Please note that I typed it exactly the way it was written in the letter.

Let us examine the content of the letter.

The letter head is fake. There is no Interwinn Services Inc. located there. I googled the company and came upon these three links.

www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/393/RipOff0393783.htm - 44k

www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/394/RipOff0394064.htm - 4 hours ago

www.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081121140925AA5ZwRV

 

The Body of the Letter.

 I've researched the companies and all I kept coming up with is the ripoff reports taking me back to Interwinn Services Inc.scam.

The telephone number is legit. However the address for it isn't. The 403 area code is located in Calgary, AB in Canada.They tell you to call them on Pacific Standard time leading you to believe that the company is located in California Right? WRONG AS TWO LEFT SHOES. Calgary is time zone is MST (Mountain Standard Time).

The second paragraph of the letter begins with INTERLINK SERVICES INC. HAS BEEN CONTACTED..... I thought that Interwinn Services Inc was contacted by North American Direct Sweepstakes to find winners. How is it tha INTERLINK was contacted? 

Third paragraph instructs you to contact your claims agent JEO WALTER. Get this, This is a major typo. His name is " JOE WALTER." They mispelled his name. Since he is a claims agent, and working for Interwinn, why isn't he listed on google? Another catch that took no research to do is the Govt. Service Tax and Insurence. If you sincerely won this sweepstakes, the government will tell YOU exactly how much to pay NOT INTERWINN. You shouldn't have to send 90% of the check back especially by MONEYGRAM. 

The closing shouldn't sound like an opening of the letter and shouldn't be adressed as ATTN and added before the signature of the person sending it. If a detail was missed in the letter, it should be POST SCRIPT (PS).....

Finally what I noticed about the letter was the signature didn't match the claim agent. If the claim agent is contacting you, why is it that the Vice President of a different fraudulent company. To add to that, the signature was stamped with one of those accept or reject seals. The signature should have been handwritten using a blue or black ink pen.


About the Check

These are my findings. Ironplanet isn't a real company that specialize in financing. It is a real business but it isn't located in Preasanton CA. In fact, there is no Preasanton California. There is a typo on the check as far as the city. Ironplanet is an auction site for used heaven construction equipment. Citibank is a real bank in Palo California. They had that information correct but no street adress.

TIPS FOR IDENTIFYING FAKE CHECKS

If someone you don’t know wants to pay you by check but wants you to wire some of the money back, beware! It’s a scam that could cost you thousands of dollars.

· There are many variations of the fake check scam. It could start with someone offering to buy something you advertised, pay you to do work at home, give you an “advance” on a sweepstakes you’ve supposedly won, or pay the first installment on the millions that you’ll receive for agreeing to have money in a foreign country transferred to your bank account for safekeeping. Whatever the pitch, the person may sound quite believable.

· Fake check scammers hunt for victims. They scan newspaper and online advertisements for people listing items for sale, and check postings on online job sites from people seeking employment. They place their own ads with phone numbers or email addresses for people to contact them. And they call or send emails or faxes to people randomly, knowing that some will take the bait.

· They often claim to be in another country. The scammers say it’s too difficult and complicated to send you the money directly from their country, so they’ll arrange for someone in the U.S. to send you a check.

· They tell you to wire money to them after you’ve deposited the check. If you’re selling something, they say they’ll pay you by having someone in the U.S. who owes them money send you a check. It will be for more than the sale price; you deposit the check, keep what you’re owed, and wire the rest to them. If it’s part of a work-at-home scheme, they may claim that you’ll be processing checks from their “clients.” You deposit the checks and then wire them the money minus your “pay.” Or they may send you a check for more than your pay “by mistake” and ask you to wire them the excess. In the sweepstakes and foreign money offer variations of the scam, they tell you to wire them money for taxes, customs, bonding, processing, legal fees, or other expenses that must be paid before you can get the rest of the money.

· The checks are fake but they look real. In fact, they look so real that even bank tellers may be fooled. Some are phony cashiers checks, others look like they’re from legitimate business accounts. The companies whose names appear may be real, but someone has dummied up the checks without their knowledge.

· You don’t have to wait long to use the money, but that doesn’t mean the check is good. Under federal law, banks have to make the funds you deposit available quickly – usually within one to five days, depending on the type of check. But just because you can withdraw the money doesn’t mean the check is good, even if it’s a cashier’s check. It can take weeks for the forgery to be discovered and the check to bounce.

· You are responsible for the checks you deposit. That’s because you’re in the best position to determine the risk – you’re the one dealing directly with the person who is arranging for the check to be sent to you. When a check bounces, the bank deducts the amount that was originally credited to your account. If there isn’t enough to cover it, the bank may be able to take money from other accounts you have at that institution, or sue you to recover the funds. In some cases, law enforcement authorities could bring charges against the victims because it may look like they were involved in the scam and knew the check was counterfeit.

· There is no legitimate reason for someone who is giving you money to ask you to wire money back. If a stranger wants to pay you for something, insist on a cashiers check for the exact amount, preferably from a local bank or a bank that has a branch in your area.

· Don’t deposit it – report it! Report fake check scams to NCL's Fraud Center, at www.fraud.org. That information will be transmitted to the appropriate law enforcement agencies.

The check that came with it.

 The check is printed on real bank checks with security features;

  • Micro-Printing- small type in border of check and endorsement area appears blurred if copied or scanned.
  • Watermark- artificia watermark on back hold angle to view.
  • Colored Background- void copy protection.

 

The company name is:

IRONPLANET

4695 Chabot Drive

Presanton, CA 95588

The bank that its drawn to is:

CITYBANK

Palto CA, 94301

There is a check number.

Pay FOUR-THOUSAND ONE-HUNDRED-FIFTY AND 00/100******DOLLARS

TO

THE                 MY HUSBANDS NAME

ORDER           ADDRESS

OF                  CITY, STATE AND ZIP.

 

DATE 11/17/08  AMOUNT ** 4,150.00

There is an acutal 4 digit check number, a 9 digit account number, and 9 digit routing number.

There are two signatures on the check that can not be read. Don't know who these two men are.

Sweepstakes Scam in the News

  • Elderly man makes the right call on lottery scamLottery Post5 days ago

    For more than a year, George Kahak has followed my request that he call me before investing any more money in get-rich schemes. The 86-year-old former chief pilot for American Airlines is a compulsive scam victim. He's lost tens of thousands of dollars in dozens of scams.

  • Buyer beware! Tough times bring out scam artistsNevada Appeal5 days ago

    In tough times, people often get a bit desperate. Unfortunately, desperation often plays into the hands of scam artists, making people more susceptible to being cheated. John McGlamery, senior deputy attorney general with the Bureau of Consumer Protection, says it's no surprise the biggest scam running in Nevada right now is centered on the mortgage crisis. Unscrupulous operators are promising ...

  • Scam Alert: Banking phony check can hurtModesto Bee7 days ago

    • THE SCAM: Sweepstakes winner• HOW IT WORKS

  • Scam Alert: Don't Become a VictimKCOY Santa Maria4 days ago

    Police are warning people to be on alert after a few Paso Robles residents fell victim to scams.

  • Protect against fraud and identity theftIonia Sentinel-Standard4 days ago

     With the holiday season, some people are looking for a quick buck, which could lead to being a victim of identity theft or fraud.

  • Stay Safe During The Season Of GivingNY1 News4 days ago

    Before you dig deep into your heart and wallet over the holidays, the Federal Trade Commission asks that you investigate charities to make sure donations will be well-spent.

  • Couple invites you to earn their homePark Record4 days ago

    All over town Realtors and property owners are getting creative to sell homes. At some point, it just doesn't make sense to keep lowering the price

HELP WANTED DIAL 609-829-3202 TO BECOME A DIRECTOR OR GET YOUR MEMBERSHIP. WITH MEMBERSHIP, YOU JUST SIMPLY SWITCH STORES AND SAVE UP TO 70% OFF YOUR PURHASES.

Eco Friendly Products are looking for Sr. Directors and Directors to promote our products.

  • No Experience Needed
  • Must be 18 years or older
  • Will provide all training materials
  • Must have internet access
  • Must have friendly personality
  • No Large Investment
  • No Carrying Inventory
  • No Taking Orders and Making Deliveries
  • No Billing and Collections
  • No Pressuring Customers to purchase
  • No Repeat Sales Presentations

This company is in the business of getting Eco Friendly Products into every household. There are currently five ways to earn money. I'll only mention the top two that earns the most money.

  1. Become a Director. This method would make you the owner with the option to do whatever you want with it. Earn residuals by helping others to the program to become Directors. Directors Fees is only a one time payment of 29.95+Tx. You'll receive all your builiding business tools. Nothing more to purchase and they send you tools every month at no additional cost.
  2. Sign up people for memberships.The memberships are equivalent to Sam's, BJ's, and Coscos Wholesale Clubs. The only difference is, those memberships has to be renewed annually. With this company there is only a one time fee of $24.99+tx.

You can earn money the same way. Simply showing others this company and products doesn't take alot of effort, time, or money. Everyone loves to save and make money at the same time.

There are just so many benefits to this company that you can profit from that I can't explain it all in this hub. However, if you would love to become a director or even a member, where you can save up to 70% please email Directors76@yahoo.com. WE ARE CURRENTLY SEEKING TO FILL POSITIONS FOR 30 SR. DIRECTORS AND 46 DIRECTORS. INQUIRE AT directors76@yahoo.com. ENROLL NOW!! THE POSITIONS ARE FILLING UP FAST AND WILL CLOSE ON OCTOBER 31, 2009. WE WILL NOT OFFER THIS POSITION PAST THAT DATE. GET IN NOW AND BY OCTOBER YOU CAN SEE YOUR EARNINGS REACH ATLEAST $1,200.00. I GUARENTEE IT OR A FULL REFUND OF YOUR MONEY BACK.

Please leave your First and Last Name, email address, telephone number, and best time to reach you. I will send you the enrollment link and walk you through the entire process through sharing.

Thank you all so very much. Look forward to helping you all reach success with our company.

Comments

RSS for comments on this Hub

Ada  says:
13 months ago

Do not throw these away. Turn the letters and checks into the local postoffice to be sent to the Postmaster as this is mail fraud and can be prosecuted. Also file a complaint with the FTC. The more people that file and send the info, the more chance of conviction.

mdvaldosta profile image

mdvaldosta  says:
13 months ago

There are loads of these scams, it's great to see someone making noise about them so maybe they'll get some law enforcement attention.

kianamamma  says:
12 months ago

Thanks for this posting!!!!! I just received a letter like this, almost verbadum. I tried calling the number with *67 so that my number couldn't be traced, but there was no answer. There were three different numbers on my letter with 3 different area codes.... what a joke!

Lori Keefer  says:
11 months ago

My husband got a phone call this week saying he won $450,000. from the American Direct Sweepstakes. He often enters contests online so we checked it out. Everything sounded legit. My husband got hurt at work 3 months ago and is getting the run-around with workmens comp so money is pretty tight. We talked to the "Rep" from the Federal Trade Commission and he said everything is on the up and up. I called my mother to see if we could borrow the $1000 we needed to claim the prize. She agreed to help us out since we were in financial trouble. She called me an hour later and told us to check out a website that had "Sweepstakes" fraud scams. Thank god we did. AMERICAN DIRECT is as crooked as a 200 year old wooden fence. As they say, if it sounds too good to be true it probably is. Save your money. Don't believe you can get something for nothing.

AEvans profile image

AEvans  says:
10 months ago

There are so many scams , thanks for letting us know about this one.:)

jane22  says:
9 months ago

My grandparents got this letter and didnt respond. The company called and sounded very legitimate saying that they had entered a sweepstakes drawing and won 1.3 million. My grandparents followed through with the calls but were eventually asked to pay insurance on the check in order to get it through customs. This company is very decieving and makes this deal sound good.

Lavato McKeiver  says:
9 months ago

I

ontheway profile image

ontheway  says:
9 months ago

Sweepstakes Scam

very good, I support you, come on , welcome to my hub!

LuvernM  says:
9 months ago

Thanks for these posts. In todays economy a lot of people will be tempted to act on these scams. Thank you for the information.

Brent  says:
9 months ago

Recieved same letter and, go on the internet and found out this was a scam

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