Complaint Review: Union Clearing House/ Select Remedy/ Koosharem Corporation

My husband received a letter from Union Clearing House stating he had won $70,000 from a computer ballot system for "Fortune 500 Companies". It included a check drawn on a Wells Fargo account belonging to Koosharem Corporation, in the amount of $2,990 to be used for the required processing/administration fee (it is required by "the regulatory board policy"). The letter came from Canada and included a reference number I wasn't so share with anyone.

We immediately thought this must be a scam because the letter is vague and poorly written, and why would any company give out $70K for us doing nothing, but it made me sooooo curious that I had to call the number on the letter just to see what they would say. The guy was so sketchy and could barely answer my questions, and kept telling me to cash the check and call him back so he could give me a tracking number for the check he would UPS me.

I looked for Union Clearing House on the internet and the company doesn't seem to exist, the address they gave in Canada doesn't exist (almost but not quite). The company on the check - Koosharem Company/Select Remedy does exist but probably doesn't know it is being used for this scam.

I forwarded a copy of the letter and the check to my company's Wells Fargo rep and he is going to look into it, and I am sure he'll find it is an almost real check, just good enough for me to be able to cash it and have the bank revoke the funds in a couple weeks when it really bounces.

I have also seen this scam posted under different companies but still with Union Clearing House. Please don't fall for this!

Shannon
Beaverton, Oregon
U.S.A.