Homelife Stimulus Sweepstakes Incentive Amanda Boyd on behalf of the Stimulus Sweepstakes Incentive, sent me a check for $3,794.44 to secure my winnings of $37,944.42. Richmond Hill Ontario Canada
This company called Homelife mailed me a plain white sized envelope without a return address. In it was a letter with a cashiers check for 3,794.44 issued by Sterling Bank. The letter congratulated me after searching their database of 500,000 recent homebuyers across the country, that I was 1 of 26 selected winners from their no obligation stimulus incentive sweepstakes. The sweepstake total value was $37,944.42, funds made through charitable donations. In order for myself to receive the remainder of his prize, I was to call the agent Ms. Amanda Boyd at 1-647-219-7717 before a particular upcoming date or I would forfeit his prize. The letter also outlined that the check I received would cover almost all of the 9% tax rate I would pay on my winnings. By calling the agent, I would then have to secure a bond to receive the remainder of his prize, then they would issue me the prize by cashier's check, money order or wire transfer to my preferred bank and the bank information I would provide at that time.
The letter was signed by promotions director Ronald Alleger.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
ReactorCore
Victoria,British Columbia,
Canada
Diogenes...
#3
Mon, August 31, 2009
Perhaps you could do everyone a favor and make inquiries into your state of mental perception? I say this because this is one of the most common mail fraud scams going around right now.
This is a variation on the ''overpayment by check scam''.
Someone sends you a ''check''. Note how it's UNDER $5000. This is to stop red flags going up at the bank, who will automatically hold any amount $5000 or greater for closer scrutiny.
You're asked to send back an amount, whatever it is to cover ''taxes''. A legitimate lottery of this type is NOT AUTHORIZED TO COLLECT TAXES IN THE NAME OF THE GOVERNMENT. That's for the tax department to do directly once the company/entity running the sweepstakes or lottery submits the proper, authorized paperwork regarding your winnings to the appropriate government entity.
A LEGITIMATE ''LOTTERY'' OR ''SWEEPSTAKES'' WILL NEVER REQUIRE YOU TO ''PAY'' TO COLLECT YOUR WINNINGS. It's illegal.
You're often asked to render payment VIA WESTERN UNION TYPE SERVICE ONLY, which is done to get around USPS fraud statutes, and you're often advised to keep your ''winning'' HUSH HUSH. This is a HUGE tip off.
In the end, you are left with a WORTHLESS piece of paper that will not only pay the scammer, but leave you in big trouble with the bank, as they will demand, once the ''check'' (which is a forgery) doesn't clear after 7 - 14 days, and you will have to pay them back the entire amount PLUS any/all fees associated with hanging the bad paper on them.
That's the rip off and scam that you refer to that you're demanding to see, so "Geeezzzzz", yourself.
Diogenes
Averill Park,New York,
U.S.A.
And ??
#3
Sun, August 30, 2009
Where is the rip off ??? All that you have done is to outline a letter you received. What happened with the check ?? Did you attempt to cash it ?? Did you call the phone number ??? What occured ??? Please do us all a favor and file a COMPLTETE report outlining an actual rip off ! Geeezzzzz.