I received a letter in the mail stating that I was a winner in the second category of the USA Mega(under the international Sweepstake) Draw held on March 16th, 2007. The entry slip with the winning serial number attached to my name matched the first five winning numbers and subsequently won US $490, 000.00 (Four Hundred Ninety Thousand Dollars).

This particular company has therefore been assigned by the International Sweepstake Organization to inform the winners and pay them off their winnings. Payment is to be made by CERTIFIED CHECK, which will be delivered by their special courier company.

Inclosed was a check in the amount of $ 4, 889.00 which was provided to help pay for the taxes and it is payable to my tax agent. (Tax agent information provided in the letter.)The tax amount was $2, 875.00 to be paid by Money Gram, and I was advised to contact my "Claims Agent", (name provided and phone number) to start my claim processing and to activate my check.

So, I call the claims agent, and deposited the 4889.00 check in my bank. Low and behold, one week later, the check had bounced and came back as fraudulent from my bank. I called back again! They claim they needed the 2875.00 in taxes had to be paid, so they could send me my winnings! I sand I'd call back with what I could do. So I called them back again! Being on a small VA Pension, I said I could only come up with 500.00. He (claims agent) said to send the 500.00, he would put up 900.00 and his company would pay the rest and that I could pay them back when I got my big check.

So here I sit, 100.00 in the hole because of bank charges, a bogus 4889.00 check, and a letter saying I won 490, 000.00. What can we do about this type of scam?