Complaint Review: IRD - Imperial Reporting Center - New York

Received in the mail from IRC/Imperial Reporting Center a envelope containing: 1) "Locate to Deliver Notice," 2) "Prize Data Document Report," and 3) self-addressed envelope.

This paperwork indicated that I "will receive direct access to the Sweepstakes & Contest Money and Prizes of $1,250,000.00."

All I have to do is receive this money, etc is to send IRC a check for $19.99, supposedly a "reporting fee."

I could retype the entire content of the papers here, but I have seen other complaints contalining same and don't think there is a need to repeat.  I have receiveed the identical paperwork as these others reporters.

The paperwork states that "is a Real and Actual Matter."  Also, I am to complete and return the required paperwork within 12 days of receipt.

This is a ripoff like so many before it.  A legitimate sweepstakes or contest does NOT require the winner to send them money FOR ANY REASON before the winner can receive the prize.

Also, though this ripoff appears to have a post office box in 2 different towns in New York State, I think it is quite obvious from the grammar, wording, etc in the paperwork that this is not from a natural-born American.  It is too stilted and uses phrasing that simply isn't not used in American English.

Somebody find these thieves and shoot them or at least jail them!

Personally I am smart enough to know that this is an out and out ripoff, BUT there are a lot of people out there, particularly the elderly or non-native Americans, who are simply not knowlegeable or sophisticated enough to recognize this.  And those are the people that this type of ripoff counts on -- the people who can least afford to caught up in this thing.