Award Notification

@jlcook (166)
United States
April 15, 2008 8:15pm CST
Today I opened my mailbox and found an envelope addressed to me without a return address. The postmark was from out of the country. Of course this intrigued me. I opened it up and was a Award Notification. I says that I won on September 6th, 2007 a prize of $50,000. Now I usually get these in my emails on a daily basis, but in the MAIL. This one had included in it a cashiers check for $4800 part of my "winnings" to pay the government taxes. So they are saying that I do not have to pay any money out of pocket. All they say I have to do is call them and get these funds released to me. I am thinking of taking this check to my bank and have them verify the bank and all information on this check. What are your ideas on this subject. Does it sound like a scam to you? What would you do?
1 person likes this
8 responses
@minnie_98214 (10557)
• United States
16 Apr 08
Sounds like a scam but whats it hurt to take it to the bank. The other idea would be to check with the better business burau (sorry I cant spell lol). For your sake I hope its not a scam but money like that and no return address I doubt its real sorry.
1 person likes this
@jlcook (166)
• United States
16 Apr 08
I kinda want it to be real...lol....money would help out alot....I will check with the BBB thanks. The address for the check is in California, and the address on the letter is in the UK, so it makes me weary.
1 person likes this
• United States
23 Oct 08
This is a "Call back" scam. If you don't believe me, contact the Verizon fraud department... They get you to open an account with them and give them the account info, etc... and then they electronically siphon funds off of the account. Now that's not very much money when it's only 50 - 100 dollars out of an account, but it is a lot when done a thousand or 10 thousand times... So, report this to your local phone company and they will block the international calls. Send any correspondence you get to the FBI or your local consumer protection agency...
1 person likes this
@snovamp (55)
• Kabul, Afghanistan
16 Apr 08
I just went through this yesterday with my ex husband. He is soo money hungry that when he got this in the mail, he deposited the check into his bank account. He never called the guy to tell him he deposited the check. He waited a day or so and then pulled $3000 out of the bank. He bought a car, paid off his rent etc. Now he's starting to have second thoughts on the matter and called me to get me to check on the company ING. I did some research and found it to be a scam. Now he's going to be in trouble with his bank when the check actually bounces like a slinky on speed... Rip that mail into a zillion pieces and count your blessings.
@jlcook (166)
• United States
18 Apr 08
So sorry that he did that. I did my own investigating...see above
@Verity (851)
22 Nov 08
Don't believe it, it's a scam.
• United States
4 Nov 08
Hello I just got the same letter in the mail weeks ago. With Bill Cole and Sarah Owens and James Moore on it. They sent me the check and I put it in the bank, and my account is frozen because the check was fake. Please dont be dumb like me, it looked good at the time so I did it. Now I regret it so much. They are evil people and god will soon but the scam to an end, because i plain to take further action. So people please watch out their address is 15 darking Road, West Ham, London E14 6JP, UK this is the address on the envelope. The Phone number is 011-44-7505-782-237. Please be aware of this scam artist!!!!!!!!
• United States
6 Mar 09
I got the same letter but there was no cashiers check in it. I talked to the better business bureau and it is a scam, they also say to call their bussiness office in london, but the number is attatched to a cell phone! hardly an office #.
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
23 Oct 08
hi jlcook anytime you get a check like that and it says that is to pay the government taxes delete delete delete.the check is bogus, I have already had this happen to me from a different scam and my bank says it looks so real but its bogus, and you will find out if you try to use it, so you will be out that much money 48000 dollars. no they told me to notify the police or my postmaster, its a fraud, and a scam. take all these phony scam documents to your postmaster and show him. this is a nasty scam.to begin with when you win money legitimately the governmetn takes the taxes out of the prize money at once. the fact that the envelope is postmarked from out of the country is another clue that it is a scam.Once they get the check they sent you back an it bounces and you are out that much money they will not sent you any money at all. this is a very nasty one.
• United States
31 Oct 08
i received the same letter from the same dept. but not the same people's names on it. several months before this i got a letter from someone telling me they wanted me to be a secret shopper and to do so and so with the check they sent me. i went to the bank and put a hold on it and it bounced from here to china in 10 days.lol. i did not however receive a check yet from the lincoln trust. but, on the same day i got a letter from them i got one from the consumer's rewards program and it did come with a check..these people think since i am young that i am foolish little do they know but i have lived and learned..i am now receiving calls on a pre paid cell phone i have from a number that shows up 000-000-000 which is also a scam..