I Received a letter with a check I was told I had won $50, 000 dollars in a promotion drawing. The checdk is for 3690.68 to be used for government applicable taxes and insurance fee.

Received letter stating I won $50, 000 for using department stores (i.e. Walmart, Safeway). Included in the letter was a check for $3, 850.00 asking that I send $2, 850.00 via Western Union to Ms. Julia Jones, 49 Mottingham Road, London, United Kingdom Se29z. After depositing the check at my bank I was notified that the check would be cleared after midnight the following day. The following day I withdrew $3, 200.00 from the bank and sent $2850.00 to Julia Jones Western Union of ($2, 985.00 total including $135.00 service fee). Later that evening after checking my account I notice an additional $3, 900.00 was missing and the bank notified me that the check had bounced. (My contact person was Marvin Anderson - 1-866-867-9987). What can I do?

Hello Everyone,
I just received one of these letters yesterday. My Letter was signed by C. Gilespie, Vice President Finance. My agent was Nicole Williams 1-408-459-0523. My initial check was in the amount of $3, 920 and my tax amount was $2, 744, in order to claim a prize of $39, 850. The check was drawn from Key Bank in the name of Valleyfair out of MN. I called Key Bank and they told me that this account number was not in the name of a company Valleyfair and that I should report it to the police dept. I took advice from other comments on this sight and called the FBI. They didn't even want take a formal report because they were very aware of the situation. They told me just to shred the check and DO NOT call the phone number. They said these guys were very good and that if you tried to cash the check it would initially clear, but it can take up to 6 months for the bank to catch on to the fact that it was a fraudulent check and when they do you will be responsible to pay back the money.

I received a letter today May 4, 2010 from "trustnet, a financial express company" dated "29th April., 2010" telling me I won a monetary prize:

RE: PRIZE WINNING PAYOUT Claim number ACC 11 -45-12

We are pleased to inform you that you are one of the winners in the "UK & NORTH AMERICA
CONSUMER PROMOTION DRAW" organized for all customers of Wal-Mart, Sears, Home
depot, Safeway e t.c

Your name was attached to an ENTRY SLIP with serial number 5674599 and drew the lucky
winning numbers 45-97-89-66

You are entitled to the sum of US $50, 000.00(Fifty thousand dollars)
Payable to you by CERTIFIED CHECK, and will be delivered to you by a courier company
(FedEx or UPS). You are therefore advised to contact YOUR CLAIM AGENT:

CLAIM AGENT ; STEVE BROWN - 1-416-834-6344

Monday through Fridays ...8am...To...6pm (Eastern Standard Time), for further instructions on
how to claim your big winnings.

Because this DRAW was held in UNITED KINGDOM, we have enclosed a check of
US $3, 950, for the payment of the (NON RESIDENTS) TAX which is applicable to your
winning.
This tax is payable to your tax agent through MONEY GRAM or WESTERN UNION MONEY
TRANSFER as stated below:

TAX AGENT: MARTHA SUMMERS
453 2nd AVENUE
London UK

TAX AMOUNT; 2, 950.00 US DOLLARS

PAYMENT METHOD: WESTERN UNION OR MONEYGRAM

DO NOT ACT ON THIS LETTER UNTILL YOU SPEAK WITH YOUR CLAIMS AGENT

WALTER MARSHALL

(Vice President Finance)

DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS IN ANY WAY!!! IT IS A SCAM! The check was drawn on Wells Fargo Bank N.A from the account of the sporting goods store R.E.I. It does not have the watermark on the back of the check and the errors on the check as well as in the above letter make you look twice and wonder.

I received a letter today that included a cashier's check. The letter was an AWARD CLAIM NOTIFICATION. It stated: "We are pleased to inform you that you are one of the winners in the NORTH AMERICA CONSUMER PROMOTION DRAW organized for all customers of Wal-Mart, Sears, Home Depot, Safeway etc. You are entitled to the sum of US $9, 851.80 (Nine Thousand Eight Hundred Fifty One Dollars and Eighty Cents). CONGRATULATIONS! Your winning is payable to you by CERTIFIED CHECK, and will be delivered to you by a courier company (FedEx or UPS). You are therefore advised to contact your claim agent: Lisa Greene on 1-951-402-3204. Monday through Fridays...8am...To...9pm (Eastern Standard Time), for further instructions on how to claim your big winnings. We have enclosed a check for US $985.18. Per your state regulations, a tax amount of $900.00 will be required before your lump sum winning can be sent to you. TAX AMOUNT: US $900.00. Do not act on this letter untill you speak with your claims agent." The letter was signed C. Gilespie, Vice President Finance. Everything looks legitimate, although there were typos and grammatical errors. I immediately Googled the company and realized that others received the letter and check and that it was a scam. Thank you for providing this valuable service to consumers.