Complaint Review: Welch Financial Group - Consumer's Reward Program

I too was the recipient of a congratulatory letter informing me that I had won a lump sum of $39,000 in a Consumer's Reward Progrm Lottery. Enclosed was also a cashier's check for $3,950 "we have deducted from your total price to enable you pay for the applicable luxury tax."

I was alarmed by that statement because I first saw the word PRICE and thought ok, this is going to cost me some money. Then, I re-read and thought it's a typo, it should say PRIZE. Next there was the gramatical error "enable you pay for..". Even their return address on the letter states "Buffalo 40214" and no state indicated. Something's wrong here.

I called the phone number listed and was ready to speak to "agents Sam Willis or Cathy Days. They will assist you in finalizing your claim". Office hours are 10am to 5pm on Saturday. I got a recording that the mailbox is full and I'm disconnected immediately.

This cashier's check looks real, drawn on the Santa Barbara Bank & Trust, PO Box 1390, Solana Beach, CA. 92075.

My next stop was online to research these people. What I found was this Ripoff website and your comments.

Thank you ALL for your coments and for confirming my suspicions. I plan to report them to every consumer and government agency I can think of as well as the Santa Barbara Bank & Trust - if they are a real entity.

Marilyn
Tampa, Florida
U.S.A.