Is this a new scam??????????

Question

Received a letter from "Colonial Securities and Clearing House" claiming that I had won a $60,000 sweepstake prize. Included was a genuine looking Cashier's Check for $2900. In the letter it says that it's a partial payment so I can pay taxes.

In the letter there's a phone number and a name. I did a phone check and the number is a Canadian number.

I actually almost fell for it thinking I had really won... until I opened another letter from the same letterhead with another genuine looking check for $2900. It has the watermarks and everything. But this one had a different Canadian number and name. The address on the letterhead was different too.

So what should I do with this? Should I contact the police because I'm sure it's a scam and someone might fall for it.

Answer 1

Scammers are learning how to put watermarks into checks. You best check it by the cops. Another surefire way to know if it's a scam is if they make you pay money towards claiming your prize. That's VERY fraudulent.

Answer 2

No do not cash that check. my friend had the same thing and when you try to call the number they never answer it is just a recording. What happens is you go and cash the check (banks think it is real because of watermarks) then weeks later comes back fraudulent. Then you are punished even if you didn't know.

what happens is people do this to people, mostly young people, and then write them back saying they accidently sent you too much money that you need to send cash back. This way they are having you cash the fraudulent check and they are getting cash. And even if they get caught the government can't do anything to somebody that resides in canada.

Answer 3

It may be a new scammer, but the scam is the same. The check will cash, but you will be hit with hidden charges when you go to spend the money. Not really sure of the details, heard about it once on the radio with a financial talkshow. Never accept anything that you did not sign up for, unless you find it rolled up in a rubberband on the side of the road. Its a kind of scam that is enacted once you cash the check. Dont do it, trash it.

Answer 4

Without a doubt this is a scam.
Since there is more public awareness of internet scams, the scammers have reverted to scamming by mail.
The scammers buy mailing lists and send a notification of a lottery win "complete" with a counterfeit check to thousands of people.
They use VOIP numbers (or toll free numbers which forward to a cell phone) for you to contact the "claims agent"
When you take the check to your bank it might get past the initial security checks..
After 10 days the check is "honoured" (NOT cleared) by the bank .This gives you access to the funds.
The scammers ask that you send these uncleared funds to them.
Weeks,or sometimes months later your bank realizes YOU put a fake check in their bank.
You then have to take responsibility for the money.

The best thing you can do is to report it to the USPIS http://www.usps.com/postalinspectors/

When you report it, take the letter ,the check AND the envelope it was delivered in and put them in a bigger envelope.

If people do not report these scams they will continue

information on postal Lottery Scam
http://fraudwatchers.org/forums/showthread.php?t=3203

Answer 5

I am sure its a scam, did u try to call that number. Just give a try, no one will respond. It is just a trick for you to make them trust. better go to police and report or go to bank and ask them if its a genuine and if its is real.. ur luck

Answer 6

i actually got the same thing in the mail today -- then i did a search to see if anybody knew anything about this and found this link --i usually never look twice at these kind of things, i just tear them up, but this one did look kinda real

Answer 7

call the white collar crime detectives and make a report im sure they have received many of these scams. like they say, if its too good to be true dont buy into it

Answer 8

100% scam

Answer 9

i would call the police or have a lawyer look it over.