Complaint Review: Secured Bond Bureau

Hi, I hope this helps others who have recieved this BOGUS sweepstakes notice.

I recently recieved a very OFFICIAL looking envelope, addressed from P.O. Box 4087, Stn A, Toronto, ON M1W 2R6.

This contained two letters, one yellow and one green, along with two VERY OFFICIAL looking checks. The title heading of the yellow letter was "Sweepstakes Bonanza Draw Notifacation", with "Equity Solutions"- 'Your Business is Our Business' in the upper left hand corner, with some kind of logo.

It congratulated me for and behalf of "Equity Wheel Of Fortune 21st Century star alliance with Yellow Pages[tm] (they actually put the Trade Mark symbol by the Yellow Pages each time), stating that I had been ONE of the lucky winners of a sweepstakes sponsored by charitable organizations worldwide. And that ALL participants are names drawn from the Yellow Pages[tm] database that had been entered, and that my had emerged as a lucky winner of $75,450.00, which had been processed, issued and enclosed with the letter.

The letter stated that I should contact Elizabeth Millard at Secure Bond Bureau (SBB) and have the financial block on the enclosed winning removed. It stated that I should not attempt to contact OR negotiate the check with any financial instituions before contacting SBB, or else the check would be immediately VOID.

The green letter was a "Surety Bond Purchase Requistion Form" from Secured Bond Bureau, a small eagle logo beside the company name,
1836 Angus St., Regina, SK
1(306)351-5830-direct tel.
1(306)351-5832-direct fax

It looked very legit, and stated that there was LIMITED TIME to act and claim the prize.

Also enclosed were two VERY OFFICIAL cashiers, bank checks. One for $71,149.46, and the other for $4,300.54 in ordr to cover the surety bond fee. The checks were from
Provident Bank
400 Rella Boulevard
Montebello, NY 10901
888-243-7609
and the purchaser was listed as "Equity Solutions".
The checks were signed:
Stephen P. Hughes

The yellow letter was signed Michael Rouches (Award Dispatch Manager).

At first I was overwhelmed, but then as I started thinking, it seemed too good to be true. So I googled it, and sure enough, it led me here to rip-off report, where I found several similar stories from all over the country. And so here I am, hoping to warn others of this heinous scam.

Jamee
Albany, Georgia
U.S.A.