Zodiac Award Inc.I received a letter and a check in the mail the other day that told me that I won $90,000.?
While I know that the letter is fake I am curious what the intent is. If I deposit the check in and it bounces it costs me like $25 for a bounced check, but it doesn't give the company any $. I have attached an exact copy of the letter, please review and let me know what you think. Thanks!
The internation lottery commission made a policy that every wining must be insured before delivery to avoid lost or false claim. Based on this, our company issued you an official check in the amount of $4670. to enable you to pay the insurance fee on this winning. Please note that our company has paid the tax associated with your winning and we will be sending out to you the Tax Clearance letter along with your 90K check. You have been assigned to one of our analysts with a # of 1-905-598-0653. He will process it. There is a security code attached and he will need it. There's some more stuff but thats most of it. Please let me know what you think. Thanks!
Answers:
You deposit this fake check and then send them the $4670 "insurance fee". The check bounces and you are liable for the $25 and for the $4670 that you mailed them out for the "insurance fee". They make a profit of $4670. You have a debt of $4695.
This is a very common scam.
If you called the phone number, the operator would likely try to get personal information from you, SS#, bank account information, etc. ostensibly to assist in the delivery of your lottery winnings. Of course, in reality, they'd loot your account or sell your identity.
This is an old scam. Send out mass mailings with a phone number and a good reason to call. Then let the suckers come to you...
i have never received anything like that in the mail, i too kno those are scams of some sort. Maybe when you try to deposit the check they have access to some sort of your bank info i would not even try to do it... and definitely dont call any numbers they give you..!
Did it give more instructions on what you needed to do to claim your 90K? Usually, they want you to deposit the check then send a portion of it to wherever (before the bank notifies you that it bounced). They also usually say they need your bank account numbers and routing code to issue the 90K check.
They get you're bank account info and draft charges on you're account.
This is a sheme to get your personal information. Rip it up, light it on fire, and blow the ashes into the wind. Forget it.
A fake $90,000 isn't worth your life getting all messed up.
Contact your local law enforcement and show it to them. Most likely they will have information on the particular scam or be able to get it from the FBI through shared resources. They may even want to use you to help bust them by recording your call and interactions with the person at the phone number they gave you. Your prompt actions may save some other less skeptical person from being scammed.
Just rip up the letter and check and throw it away. Nothing good can come out of this. You could get in serious trouble for cashing a counterfeit check!
The answers post by the user, for information only, FreeLawAnswer.com does not guarantee the right.
Answer question:
More Law Questions and Answers: