Mother-in law got a letter saying she won $485,000 in sweepstakes. It is from Imperial Financial, Inc. in Sydney, Nova Scotia. They send a "check" drawn on a Bank of the West account for $4,800 to cover the taxes, which are to be paid to the "tax Agent". The company name on the check is American Laminates in Riverbank, California.
Agents don't personally collect taxes, not since Robin Hood, anyway. There was also a phone number to contact Frank Williams to "activate" the check, because it isn't any good until you do so. Try that with your landlord next month.
USA Mega(under the International Sweepstakes) is the supposed sponsor of the drawing. Imperial Financial claims on the bottom of the letter that they have offices in USA, Germany, Hong-Kong, Ecuador, South Africa, UK, and France. Why, then, did the letter come from Canada instead of anyplace listed?
I recommend forwarding to your Attorney General's office. That one of the things we pay them for.