i received this thing in the mail from "Nova Financial Group"
it was a letter along with a check for $5000,
the letter says its a final winning notification
- it claims i am a "lucky" winner in the 1st and 2nd quarters of its lottery (its from germany, i'm in the U.S.)
i'm supposedly now entitled to the sum of U.S. $250,000
then the letter states my "batch/serial number" and a claim number..and a telephone number i should call for help to "further process my claim"
obviously its some sort of scam.
well the questions are:
how does the scam work? has anyone heard of this sort of thing?
cause from the letter i cant really tell how the people running the
scam would make money
normally they ask you to send money "to receive your prize"
thats not the case here, they just send a letter and a check
and theres no small print.
the name of the company is:
Nova Financial Group
Europe and North america
Wilheim Str.28
D - 60311 Frankfurt am main
Germany
2006-10-16 05:01:15 · 8 answers · asked by I Might Know 2 in Business & Finance ➔ Other - Business & Finance
um the other obvious question is:
if i cash the check what happens? like i said there's no small print...and the check looks real enough
2006-10-16 05:02:43 · update #1
Well if you didn't enter any contest local or foreign, you are not eligible to win anyway...
If you cash this check, you will owe taxes either in the USA or in Germany...
It could be added on to your income by the IRS...
You may also have to pay a gift tax...
Or like another said, buy items you never wanted...
I call it a hoax and tear it up and trash it or tear it up and send it back to them...
No one gets FREE money for doing nothing...
2006-10-16 05:14:28 · answer #1 · answered by aspenkdp2003 7 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Always keep these three old but very true sayings in mind:
1. If it's too good to be true, it isn't.
2. Nothing is free.
3. There's a sucker born every minute.
It doesn't matter how clever and convoluted the scam has to be to relieve you of your money, but this one, like any other, will end up with you being quite a bit poorer than when you started.
The'yre always counting on some trusting and hopeful person to say to themselves "Maybe just this once this isn't a scam and it's for real"... and then they've got you! Poof, and your wallet's suddenly a lot lighter, and you're left wondering how you could possibly have fallen for that!
2006-10-16 05:13:07 · answer #2 · answered by backinbowl 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Here is a site that includes a FAQ section that will answer all your questions as to how it works.
For example as to what happens if you cash the check, they say
"Never deposit such checks or money orders or you could be charged with fraud yourself. In fact under US laws even possession of fake checks and money orders is illegal. Contact your local police and give them check as well as printouts of all emails you have received from the criminals. It's better not to touch the checks or MOs: There may be useful fingerprints on them. "
This site will answer just about any other question you have on this type of scam.
http://worldwidespam.info/lottery-scams/
This site shows all the different lotto scams going on today.
I didn't count them all but it must be close to a hundred.
http://www.joewein.de/sw/419faq.htm
Hope this helps!!!
2006-10-17 10:45:40 · answer #3 · answered by rkoblitz 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Don't try to deposit it or cash it. By accepting it you will become a willing participant in some sort of program that will force you to buy products that you do not need. If there is a prepaid return envelope, stuff it full with newsprint and send it back to them. It will cost them a fortune if everyone did this.
2006-10-16 05:06:44 · answer #4 · answered by draftboyg 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
all i know is that if u cash the check do not spend the money, before it clears the bank on the check. most banks will give you the money if you have an account with them, then if the check bounces they take the money out of your account. so if you cash it and bounces you could have a very large negative amount in the bank that you have to pay back.
2006-10-16 05:39:07 · answer #5 · answered by melissa 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Try asking the Fraud section in your local police department. It HIGHLY unlikely but it could be legit. If it is a known scam the cops can probably explain it and if it something new they may want to use you as an access point to investigate it. Just don't cash that check until you know more about what the deal is. These scam artists are very crafty b*a*s*t*a*r*d*s and can hook you before you know what is happening.
2006-10-16 05:09:18 · answer #6 · answered by gimpalomg 7 · 2⤊ 2⤋
This is definitely a scam. I get about five per day.
Just delete it and ignore it..
www.scambuster419.co.uk/lottery.htm
antivirus.about.com/cs/hoaxes/p/lottery.htm
www.sophos.com/security/hoaxes/lotterywin.html
2006-10-19 02:27:51 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
dont do it...the check gets cashed, then after a week or so they discover its forged, and youre on the hook for the money
2006-10-16 05:03:55 · answer #8 · answered by David B 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋