Never EVER fall for a Canadian Sweepstakes Scam!
Photo by: Memotions
Have you heard from Deco Worldwide Sweepstakes or American Sweepstakes Lottery or from Alliance Consult Services? If not, good! They have one thing in common – all of them are scams. These are names some fraudsters used to cheat people of their money.
Canadian Sweepstakes scams are run by individuals based in Canada. They send emails giving welcome news to its recipients that they have won the top prize (or sometimes, as we shall see, a lower prize) at a sweepstake. The sweepstakes can be claimed to have such illustrious sponsors as Microsoft, the Readers’ Digest, Publishers’ Clearing House or the choicest Fortune 500 companies.
But there’s a hitch: The recipients of the mail will have to pay a few thousands to cover some expenses. This could be a fee for covering administrative expenses or as an advance tax that has to be paid against the prize. They would be asked to send a check for the said amount to an address in Canada (usually to a woman – it increases credibility, you see).
Some people send the check. And why not? After all, who would not pay a few thousands for the millions that is just within grasp?
But more often than not, it does not end here. If the victim sends a check the first time around, they are asked to send some more on one pretext or the other.
For those who won a second or fourth prize, it is claimed that their winnings have been upgraded. Apparently, the candidature of the winner did not stand good on close scrutiny. So he was stripped and the victim, as a result has more prize money for the taking. Of course, the taxes/administrative fees that has to be paid would increase proportionately and has to be shelled out by him/her.
This can go on for the better part of a year through a series of to-and-fro messages until the victim loses patience and decides to ask around. This is when the scam is discovered.
It is easy to see why senior citizens are specifically targeted for the scam. Usually they live alone or without much contact with the outside world. This gives the tricksters ample time to act out their scheme before they are found out.
A senior citizen in Baltimore has been reported to be the latest victim of this fraud.
Pity. It is a big, bad world out there.
Related posts:
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- MGM Mirage :Canadian Sweetakes Scams Can Entice Nevada,California,Texas Residents
- Verizon warns of sweepstakes scam in its name
- Sweepstakes-All Scams and Lies!
February 23rd, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Oh I just got this only mine was in the form of a check with letter in the mail!! The check was so realistic looking!! Envelope had no return address on it!! from Canada!!
http://giveawaycity.blogspot.com/2008/02/spam-oh-spam.html
here is my article on it! Along with picture of it!
June 5th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
I have got spam everytime and I think I got it from all over the world. Mostly send by email. It’s really disturbing getting such emails. Maybe they are waiting for me to fall for it. lol
August 12th, 2008 at 3:45 am
@ Sherry…
Yeah! These guys just keep on knocking!
Best Wishes!
@ danandmarsh and Sherry…
Thanks for dropping by and taking time out to leave a comment…
Best Wishes!
August 13th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
Yea, my husband and i received a letter with a real looking check included. The letter stated that we had won a big prize, but we had to pay taxes first before receiving that grand prize. We called the response phone number which appeared in the letter and yeah, they are all women, rude ones too! Don’t fall for it!!!!
August 28th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
I just got a check for 4890.00..called and spoke to very rude woman who asked me to call back in 5 minutes so she could retrieve my file…I may take the check to the bank to see what they say…maybe they can file some type of fraud claim..I will also call her daily just to bust her chops..gotta love unlimited long distance call plans!!!!
August 29th, 2008 at 2:52 am
@ Diane…
@ Diane, Sandra…
Thank You for dropping by and taking the time out to leave a comment!
Best Wishes!
October 8th, 2008 at 10:07 pm
” I WAS A BIG DUMMY AND FELL FOR THE OKEY DOKE PEOPLE PLEASE BE AWARE AND RIP UP THOSE F…ING PAPERS AS FAST AS U F…ING CAN. CAUSE NOBODY GIVES A DAMN ABOUT U LOSING YOUR MONEY IT’S LIKE OH F…ING WELL.
November 3rd, 2008 at 7:09 pm
WE RECIEVED A CHECK TODAY IN THE AMOUT OF $4,500.00 THAT’S SUPPOSE TO BE PAID TOWARD TAXES…WE’RE NOT DUMB LOL
MY SON TOLD ME TO TAKE IT TO A CHECK CASHING PLACE AND SEE WHAT THEY SAY SINCE THEY ALWAYS HAVE TO CALL FOR VERIFICATION OF FUNDS. IF IT CLEARS THE MONEY IS OURS!
November 4th, 2008 at 6:57 am
Yes, I am another person who received a check for close to $4,000 as part of my”winnings” to pay for taxes. The harassment of these fraudsters is astonishing! They should be hunted down and incarcerated for the longest time possible. Law enforcement people, go get ‘em!
November 4th, 2008 at 7:03 am
I just received a sweepstakes check from the Canadian lottery in the amount of almost $4,000 to pay for taxes on my “winnings”. The audacity of these people regarding the elderly is amazing!
Don’t fall for the bait, even if the worm looks good.
November 20th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
It’s not just Canada, but the Netherlands, Spain, England, and now Costa Rica as well.
I have a stack of 3 feet high, all talking about millioms of dollars in winnings, requesting a fee for release of the ‘documentation. The ‘documentations are lists of available sweepstakes. If they talk about “You have won,” or “You are a guarantied winner,” - look at the back side, where the ‘guarantied’ amount is listed, a 1:1 odd of $1 or less, for which you pay $20 to get that check.
I too have received checks in the mail, to help paying the taxes on a huge winning.which you are expected to submit electronically, by money-gram.
I took these checks to the Bank for verification.
The check number and account on those checks are REAL; but the account is marked as ‘fraudlant’, and will reject payment. In the mean time, you have made an electronic transfer of funds from your own account, and have to pay an NSF fee for the rejected Deposit.
THERE ARE NO NON-RESIDENT TAXES.
There are NO fees to be paid for winnings from outide the US.
ANY TIME you are asked to pay a fee, you can be certain that it is a SCAM, regardless what name they use to part you from your money.
November 21st, 2008 at 3:31 am
Hi, Edith!
Yeah, scammers elsewhere are fast catching up. They don’t want to miss the party, I guess. Can expect only more of them to try their hand at making easy money.
@ Big dummy, Lacey, John…
Thanks for dropping by and taking the time out to leave a comment!
Best Wishes!
November 29th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
I just received a letter and a check in the mail today from Atlantic Payne Financial Inc., for almost 3,000, saying that I have won 80,000. They want me to deposit the check in my account and then contact them when the check clears. I am then to send them, via MoneyGram, 2,800, after which they will utilize the bar code on my letter to have UPS end me a check for the balance along with forms to file with my taxes. When I called the number I spoke to a woman whose only questions were how long my bank would hold the check and if I have access to MoneyGram. I plan to take this check to my bank and find out if it is real.
December 4th, 2008 at 8:31 am
FYI: All CANADIAN Lotteries are tax free. If you get anything asking for money to cover taxes from any lottery / sweepstakes originating from Canada, it is a SCAM. Delete the e-mail, Garbage the mail, Hang up on the Phone.
December 4th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
Hey did anyone find out if you can cash the check at a check cashing place? I just got a check for $3,061, is there a way to cash it without them getting my money?
And is there a way to turn these people in?
December 6th, 2008 at 10:17 am
yeah i as well just received a check cool huh yeah i knew this just couldn,t be real.it looks real but I,m not gonna fall for it.
December 10th, 2008 at 11:24 pm
dont fall for the scam.
mine was from canada they sent me a check for 3875 and said it was to cover taxes…
its a scam dont do it…
December 27th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
I REALLY NEED TO COMMENT ON THIS TOPIC—
REGARDING CHECK SCAMS, HAS IT OCCURRED TO ANYONE HOW ILLOGICAL IT IS TO BE ASKED TO MAIL TAX FUNDS BACK TO THESE “FAKE LOTTERY OFFICIALS”, WHEN THE OBVIOUS CHOICE THEY WOULD MAKE TO COVER THOSE “TAXES” IF IT WERE REAL, WOULD BE TO SIMPLY DEDUCT THE AMOUNT FROM THE WINNING AMOUNT, AND SEND THE “WINNER” THE BALANCE.
I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT NOBODY THINKS TO ASK THE “REP” WHO CALLS THEM THIS QUESTION. IF THEY ASKED THIS SIMPLE QUESTION, THEY WOULD NOT BE VICTIMIZED BY THIS.
December 30th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
I cannot believe all these people that keep saying things like they are going to try to cash these checks at check cashing places, and it’s their money.
These checks are COUNTERFIET!!! They are real banks and bank accounts that belong to someone else. The fraudsters have stolen the account numbers and printed them on very realistic looking checks.
Look at it from another point of view. What if a scam artist stole YOUR account number and printed on a check (very easy to do with any laser printer.) If they gave it to me and I deposited it, I would have access to the funds in a few days.
By law, my bank cannot place a hold on my account for more than 5 days. Since my bank already encoded it, it will clear you bank account with no problem. This is all done electronically, so there is no person looking at the check.
How long before you notice a check that you didn’t write has cleared your bank account? A few days? A few weeks? Maybe not until you get your statement in the mail at the end of the month. You would have to contact your bank, and file an affidavid of fraud, and THEN they would return the check back to my bank as fraud.
By this time, several weeks may have gone by and I could have already spent the money, and maybe even closed my account. Does that mean I get to keep the money? OF COURSE NOT!!!
My bank will send the money back to you, and my bank will come after me for the money and charge more fees for passing a bad check! They can press charges.
If I had cashed it at a check cashing place, they could (and probably would) have the police issue a warrent for my arrest!
CHECK FRAUD IS A CRIME!!
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CASH ONE OF THE CHECKS ANYWHERE!!!!! YOU COULD BE ARRESTED FOR CHECK FRAUD!!!!
February 9th, 2009 at 10:58 pm
[...] in this cat-and-mouse game between you and online cheats. Visit my Fraud Blog and read more about Canadian Sweepstakes Scam [...]
February 10th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
I too just received a check in the mail this morning. I knew that it had to be a scam but, because I am “human” I wanted to believe that it was real…They are vultures if you ask me and definitely should have a consequence for Steeling from our pockets.
Not to mention taking advantage of innocent naive people who could really use that money. Especially in today’s economy!!
I will also call them everyday and scream LIARS, CHEATERS, Thief’s,and whatever else plops out of my mouth at the time.
I am thank full for this site it definitely help me to see that others have receive the same check and letter in the mail.
DON’T FALL FOR IT!!!DON’T CASH THOSE CHECKS!!!
February 11th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
I received a letter in the Mail from P.C.H saying I won $1,000,000 .
But First they want me to send them 900.00 and the postmark is from Canada.
I`m not that stupid but I wonder where it came from. It says the chairman of the PCH
is John M. Lawson.
February 27th, 2009 at 9:00 pm
oh god, i just made a huge mistake! stupid me for deposited the check in the bank and then wire the money to them. I’m cared to death now because i might have commited check fraud, please help me with any advice regaurding this matter. The check was made in my name, it’s cleared and everything. I am so worry
March 2nd, 2009 at 6:45 pm
I live in Phoenix, AZ. and I just received one of these letters today, postmarked from Canada but no address on the envelope. The name of the business that sent me the letter is on the actual letter and on the check. The name of business that sent me the letter is “Capital Business Solutions, Inc.”. The address under their name on the letter is International claims Department, 300 2nd ST, Hamilton, Ontario, L4B1K7. The address on the check is 1191 E Newport Center Dr., Deerfield, FL, 33442. The bank the check is drawn on is “Boston Private Bank & Trust” in Welleeley, MA, 02481.
Same story as above, a check made to me for $4,977.00 US, tax amount will be $2,995.00 US to be paid by Moneygram or Western Union. The total I’m to receive will be $79,000.00 US. But my letter says “do not attempt to use this until you call”,it didn’t tell me to deposit it. Maybe that’s gonna be their new gimmick?
As soon as I got this letter I first thought, “hmmm… I wish that I could remember if I had actually sent in for a sweepstakes to this place?”. (Because I do occasionally send in entries for sweepstakes from some of my women’s magazines, never win of course). I was suspicious right away, and at the same time,(my husband has been out of work for 6 months and me on disability,we are also one of “those people” who lost our house 10 months ago) I thought for one, maybe two minutes, “this would be cool, what if it really is legit?” I thought that maybe our bad times have finally come to an end maybe our prays have been answered!( my husband just started a new job today, with a contract guaranteed 2 years, wow, wouldn’t this just put the icing on the cake?). Ok, I’ll stop babbling on and on, but the point is; these are bad times, there are so many of us out there praying, wishing, hungery, desparate, and gullible. I wanted to believe, boy did I. Thank goodness I got on the internet and checked this out first. The last thing that I needed was something as terrible as this to happen on top of everything else. This is not the only website about this exact topic, there are tons!
I did look up the bank and there is such a bank with a nice big website but I couldn’t find “Capital Business Solutions, Inc.”. I guess that I will try to contact that bank to alert them of this terrible scam!
Just remember, these people will one day have to meet with their maker, then I wonder if they’ll think that this was such a great idea?
April 2nd, 2009 at 8:12 pm
Just received one of these in the mail today. Really looked legit. Glad I looked at this site. But as someone asked earlier, does anyone know who we should contact to try capturing these scammers.
April 4th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
I got a check for $3000 with a letter that says it is mine. Ok folks. Here are my questions about this: IF I were dumb enough to cash it, why am I commiting a crime for keeping it and they keep the $55K? If the bank is dumb enought to process it without checking the source, how am I commiting a crime arrest them? WHO IS COMITTING the crime oh the crook that sent it in the first place? You think? Why isn’t law enforcement interested in finding and arresting these criminals who send the check? especially after I tried to find an agency to work with me to take these crooks down? I will tell you why becuase this country and legal system is so @$$*! up, they choose to harrass simple people instead of stopping one of the largest most damaging scams running in the US. WISE UP ________ People!
April 18th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
A friend received a check for over $4,000.00 and was told that $1600.00 had to be sent by money gram to cover taxes.
He was suppose to be in Canada but money gram went to New York.
After calling police department she was told to report this to the F.B.I. online with all the details. Records can be
subpoenaed by them to trace who picks up the money gram.
When someone first gets a check of this nature, it should be broght to the bank to be checked out before putting it in an account…..It will not fund and you will know it is a fraud.If it is a real sweepstakes, they never ask for money back in advance and taxes will come out of the check. No money is ever asked for in advance for insurance, or taxes. My friend has cancer and a lot of debt and it is so sad that people can take advantage of people in this way. Someone needs to get serious about catching these idiots.
May 19th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
Just got my letter yesterday with a check. First I called the number they included, got all the details, then I called my states Attorney General’s office to discuss, and now they are sending me out the paperwork to file a complaint. It was nice to dream for a night though.
I think it’s very important that when we get these things, that we follow up with the authorities. Maybe they can do something, maybe not, but at least it’s on record.
May 5th, 2010 at 11:12 pm
My husband received a letter saying he won 250.000 dollars from Wegmans Marketing along with a check for $3895.00. They wanted him to send them$2995.00 for taxes sopeople be aware WEGMANS MARKETING IS A SCAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Luckily we figured it out before we cashed or deposited the check!!!!!!!!
June 16th, 2010 at 12:25 pm
Got one of these from Canadian Sweepstakes Inc. Of course no website on any of the paperwork. Check to my deceased father for $2800. Drawn on a Wells Fargo Bank, has a Target logo on one corner. Very realistic. Fill out paperwork, deposit check, send us 2500 for fees, and you get 520K! My father was 86 years old. how many elderly fall for this? I had to look twice it looked so real and then I googled it. How do people who initiate these scams live with themselves?
July 6th, 2010 at 5:36 pm
July 6th
My father just received a check for $3,870.40 for a CONSUMER PROMOTION DRAWING & SMARTEDGE SWEEPSTAKES. It has 2 addresses on it one is from New York and the other is from Canada. It came in the mail but did not have a return address on it. The check is from All Season Protection Servicesn New York and it is from J.P. Morgan Chase Bank. I have tried looking up the company names on the better business bureau but nothing was listed. I know it is a fraud because my dad died for almost 14 years ago. Where do these people get their names from? I have called the guy that is listed Steve Harmon several times and he just says call back in five or ten minutes. What agency should I call to report this?
August 12th, 2010 at 5:53 pm
got one too…letter from halmark finacial, inc in canada, no return address but postmarked in canada and check from macy’s inc, profit sharing in pittsburgh, address on check is same as macy’s store in robinson center mall (i looked it up online). i called macy’s and they dont have a bank branch in their store. i reverse looked up the bank with the routing number and will call them tomorrow to verify funds-fat chance any will be there. i have checked with a law office and my bank, they suggested taking it to the police station. i intend to investigate as far as i can then take to the post office to see what law enforcement agency handles mail fraud. then i will call bob jones frequently. my letter said to call first, he said to deposit and call him back, as my bank would not take the check-and i didnt even try to deposit into my account with my info. on it, my question will be what he suggests i do with a counterfeit check other than prosecute his sorry a$$. ill get back to you if the answer he has is the least bit entertaining, lol. if i dont get the 850,000 i was promised i will get personal satisfaction and entertainment value for my troubles. would suggest everyone follow suit.
November 17th, 2010 at 4:30 pm
Looks like the scammers in Canada are still at it. I just got a letter stating I had won 125,000.00 in the Shoppers sweepstakes lottery with a cashier’s check for 3,875.00 to cover “Goverment taxes” Which I will need to pay via Western Union. Anyone get anywhere trying to report these very bad people????