Complaint Review: Hampshire Management And Payment

Please note I was NOT a victim of this fraud, but we did receive two letters and a check for $4,250. I later discovered an article online regarding a woman in Missouri who was a victim of this scam, at a loss of $3,750. The company name is the same (Hampshire Management and Payment), only the amount was slightly different. (http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=15209167&BRD=1409&PAG=461&dept_id=67201&rfi=6)

My husband first received a letter saying he was the winner of a lottery and needed to notify Hampshire Management and Payment Inc. in order to claim his prize of $125,000. I dis-regarded the letter because it came in an unmarked envelope and neither of us had entered any lottery or sweepstakes.

A few days later we received another letter which included a check for $4,250. The check appears to be legitimate, but the address and phone number of the bank on the check are incorrect. The letter explains that this is money they are forwarding you in order to pay the fees and surcharges so that you can receive your $125,000 prize. I did not call the phone number in Canada, but assume if I did we would be asked to deposit the check and wire $4,250 to them for processing of our claim.

This scam works because they put a deadline of only 7 business days on your claim. After that time, the $125,00 prize is null and void. However, most banks will hold a large check such as the one for $4,250 for 10 business days. So in order to process the prize claim on time, one may be influenced to wire the money to the Canadian address, but then would find the check from HMP was fraudulent.

I tried to report this to our local police department, but was told there are too many of these and thus they do nothing about it unless you are a victim. Instead, I would just like to get the word out so that no one else looses thousands of dollars to this Hampshire Management and Payment Inc. or Hampshire Management and Payment Systems.

Renee
Los Angeles, California
U.S.A.