Yesterday I received a check by postal mail sent from Canada for the amount of $2,970 supposedly as part of a sweepstakes win.  The letter accompanying the check said I should deposit this into my bank and send back $2,570 because of some international law guiding the fair personal collection of cash prizes.  After that I would soon receive $50,000.  This check was drawn from an American bank in Boston. 

So first I called the phone number in the letter, that was a number in Manitoba Canada, and a man with a French accent answered.  I asked him if there was anyone I could speak to who spoke proper English.  He said no, he's the only one there.  Fishy, I thought!

Then I contacted the bank in Boston from which the check supposedly was drawn.  They told me it was definitely a scam and they were aware that this Canadian had done this numerous times but the state of Massachusetts told them nothing could be done unless their bank actually lost money from these fake checks. But they wouldn't lose money because the checks would not clear. The only people who would lose money were the people who thought they had won something and sent $2,570 from their own accounts to the Canadian scammer.

This scammer also states that winners' names are drawn from entries in Reader's Digest and Publisher's Clearing House sweepstakes, thereby besmirching the good names of other companies in addition to besmirching the bank in Boston.

Here are the things that tipped me off:

1.  A check for a huge amount was sent by postal mail from another country with just a 93-cent stamp on the envelope, not sent by courier.
2.  There was no check-stub attached.
3.  Even though the front of the check said there were security features on back, there weren't.
4.  There was only 1 person answering the phone in the office in Canada.
5.  The man in Canada told me I'd receive my additional $50,000 in less than a week.  (It takes over a week for an out-of-state check to clear, so if I was supposed to take the $2,970 to my bank, that would not clear in time for me to send them $2,570 for the so-called international prize law.  This scam would be taking $2,570 from innocent peoples' bank accounts and leaving us with bounce fees when their checks don't clear.)

Here's the address and phone number, if you get any huge checks from this place, it's a fake:

PAYMENT TRUST SERVICES
800 FRANKLIN AVE.
LONDON, CANADA  Nw2 4V1

Phone: 1-204-962-7031

I have been part of this scam before and now when I get these kind of emails or checks in the mail which I dont anymore I do not even pay any attention to them. I have lost money and now owe my bank money from these scams. Its a shame people do this to other people. It s a shame. But we need to keep on our toes at all times.

Thanks Sylvia

Hi Kathleen,

You might want to send your information to the London, Ontario Police Department.  They might just knock on his door if you have credible information.

http://www.police.london.ca/ContactUs/EmailUs.htm

These people should spend a lot of time behind bars!

Thanks for letting everyone know.

Bill

Dear Kathleen,

The scam email you received falls into a category known as the "419" or "Nigerian" scam.

For a good source of information regarding this extremely common scam format, see:

http://www.scam419.com/

Your Friend,

Midge Baker