Complaint Review: Readers Digest Gaming Corporation

I received this letter from the Reader's Digest Gaming Corportion stating that after numerous attempts to try to reach me via telephone have failed they were pleased to inform me through this letter that their nework system shows me as the grand prize winner of unclaimed prize money in the amount of $1,000,000 USD. The system indicates through an automated ballot stystem drawn from magzines, mail in ballot forms, internet submissions, sweepstakes database which are from the USA and Canada.

They enclosed a check for $5,288.00 USD which was to pay for all applicable customs fees and must be deposited in my account only after speaking with my claims officer. Note the check will be not be activiated until I spoke to the claims officer.

After I spoke to the claims officer she told me to take it to the bank and deposit it. There they told me the check was fraud. Should have been my clue but because I don't like ripoffs I called the company back. Ruby Lawson the caims person, said that she would make the check good but they still needed a payment.

Ruby Lawsons number is 888-323-0862 Ext 1 and if I had any problems to call the shipping department at 1-514-572-5283 and then for filing complaints was 888-271-3661.

I didn't just take their word for it. I called information they varified these numbers and then I called Readers Digest and they said yes they had a winner in Arizona.

My mom and I (mostly mom because I'm on SSI) kept paying fees with the promise the check would be here.

I still have not received the check and we are out hundereds of thousands of dollars. Now when I call Ruby Lawson's phone number it says that all the accounts have been placed on hold.

The 541 number sometimes someone will answer and the last time I talked to him which was last Monday, said that I still owed almost $3,000.00. I told him all the fees were paid and to talk to Ruby because I couldn't get through. He said Ruby was having a baby.

The company also paid $15,000 of the fees and then when another $11,000 was need she said her supervisior's cousin was going to ship me the money to pay for it. She said as soon as you get the check call her, she would tell me where to send it, and my check would be here in a couple of hours.

I did just what she said but no check and I had no way to get a hold of her. So I decided to find the guy on the envelope, call information, and then I called him. Now I find it he's in the same situation I am. He said if I find an attorney yes he would like to sue.

All the money that we sent went to different parts of Canada. I was told it was going to the border patrol so that the right places would get the money. All of this was done using Money Gram which also had fees.

Ruby said that all the Money Gram fees would be returned with my million dollar check.

I called Readers Digest and after talking to 5 different people the last person asked for my name again, said we will e-mail you because you are a winner. I said wait I have a brand new e mail address, she said yes we know and she read it off. No one had my e mail address not even Ruby.

I wanted this money to help my mom and to have some money. Now I not only hurt my mom worse but I'm in a worse position than I have ever been before. Thinking that the check was going to be here like promised, I purchased a new Mustang car and now I'm worried about making payments.

I don't want to just report this. I WANT THESE PEOPLE STOPPED. Readers Digest is too blame too because they said I was a winner. I lost the envelope. We have a copy of the check that was a fraud.

Cheryl
Phoenix, Arizona
U.S.A.