If It Looks Too Good To Be True...

[Chuysmom]

It probably is!

Today I came home to an envelope in my mailbox. I opened it up to find a check for $3,549.00 drawn on Wells Fargo Bank NA in Arizona. The letter was from Reader's Digest and told me I won $125,000.00 in their Lotto, and this was just a portion to pay for some of the taxes ahead of time.

Now, I gotta tell you that it really did take about 10-15 seconds of "Can it BEEE?" before I just knew it was a scam.

1. The letter was a photocopy.
2. The signature was not an original.
3. No return address on the envelope.
4. They wanted me to wire them some of the money via Western Union to "start the process."
5. The letter tells me to "keep this award confidential until your claim has been confirmed and price remitted to you..."

I have to say that this check looks EXTREMELY valid. You really can't tell by looking at it that it's fake.

I called the FBI in Honolulu and of course had a few laughs. They said they can't even do anything about these because they are sent from a foreign country (in this case CANADA).

If it was my Mom, she would be jumping out of her skin with joy!!!

Just a heads-up. I guess all those stupid spams I get rid of just found another way through the fence. LOL!!!



Carrie

http://www.sapphiresoap.etsy.com
http://www.carrierojo.etsy.com

[Rob Tucker]

Call the U.S. Postal Service. Mail fraud. Canada probably has a similar law.

Thanks for the heads up.

[rbakker]

"They wanted me to wire them some of the money via Western Union"

That's the dead giveaway! Even if the letter wasn't photocopied, the signature was original and it had a return address.
pay via Western Union = scam

Thanks for the warning

[TonyB]

Aloha,

Unfortunately my mother-n-law fell for this scam. She deposited the check because it looked real, bank credited her with funds due to her long standing with the bank, she wired the money, and then the check bounced. Needlesss to say the elderly fall for this scam...I'm sure others do too, but I was so upset with her because she kept it (her winnings)a secret until the bank demanded she cover the loss...she really thought she won the lottery that she never played.

Aloha