'Payment Trust Services' scam don't trust it!?

Question

I just want to warn people. Today I received a letter in the mail with a check of $2,970. It said that I won $52,970.00. They are using the name" Payment Trust Services" and they say that they are sponsored by Reader's Digest, Publishers Clearing House, Sweepstakes and Lotto.

They want you to deposit the check into your account and wire
$2,570 via Western Union for the "processing fee." Only once you have done so the check will bounce and there is no $50,000. If it were real you wouldn't have to pay money upfront for a processing fee or taxes, whatever. They put a phone number of the supposed claim agents. It's 1-204-951-
0462, but it's a total scam! These people are conartists!

I don't understand how people can do this to other people! I
feel bad for anyone that falls for this. Luckily I did some research and found out before it was too late.

Answer 1

Huge red flags in anything anyone receives unsolicited in the mail and they send a check, but want a fee and worse yet, want you to wire it to them.

You were wise to check into the matter and not falling for the scam. Ways to avoid scams:

- If anything seems to good to be true, then it probably is.

- You can't win a prize on a sweepstakes you never entered.

- No legit sweepstakes will charge a "processing fee"

- Never wire any money to any person or business you do not know and even then, be cautious.

- Never cash a check for anyone you don't personally know and trust to have a legitimate bank account.

- If you really had a rich distant relative, there would already be a line of not so distant relatives lined up to claim their fair share of any inheritance; no lawyer is going to go looking for people with the same last name to in another country to claim it.

- If some rich prince or family in another country had money and wanted to filter into your personal account to avoid losing it to their goverment for taxes, even if it were true (which it never is), they already tried to scam their home country, do you think they would give a second thought to trying to scam a total stranger? Ever think it might an attempt at money laundering? Don't you think they would find someone they know and trust not to scam them out of all their money, not some stranger they sent an e-mail to.

- Never give out any personal information over the phone to people you do not know.

- If a legimate business asks you over the phone for the 3 digit code on the back of the credit card, don't give it to them, as they now could use your card number to buy things online. If you do flub up and give it to them, call the credit card company or bank and cancel the card immediately.

Answer 2

The newspaper yesterday said that 3,000 people a month become victims of this scam. It preys on people in their weakest moments. They keep your mortgage payments. You have no way to go after them later to get the money back. They were just a nice voice on the phone or a nice person who came to your house for 10 minutes. This is a scam..

Answer 3

Well, thanks, Hon, I appreciate the forewarning, I have heard this one before, but never knew anyone who had gotten a check. I just didn't know how the scam went. I guess they also will rape your checking account. Thanks again for the heads up.