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Alliance Financial Group Phony Sweepstakes Halifax, Nova Scotia
I received a letter from Alliance Financial Group. It says From The Consumer Protection Department, 44 Wall Street, New York, NY 10005 USA. Then, underneath that it says Brownlow Avenue, Halifax, NS B3B1Y2 Canada. It says the telephone number is 1-778-223-5910.
The letter claims that I am one of the winners in the "Consumer Promotion Drawing and Smartedge Sweepstakes" organized for all taxpayers/households, telephone subscribers, auto buyers, and customers of the participating retail stores in the United States, UK, and Canada. It says that I am entitled to the sum of $155,000 payable to me by certified check. The check will supposedly be delivered to me by their designated special courier company.
I am supposed to contact my assigned claims agent, Steve Harmon, at the previously mentioned phone number. The office hours are listed as Monday to Friday 7am to 5pm and Saturday 8am to 3pm Pacific Standard Time. When I call, they will give me further instructions.
Enclosed is a check for $3870.40 which is supposed to assist me in paying the non -resident tax. The check has All Season Protection Services, Inc. printed on it. The address is 204 West 84th Street, New York, NY 10024. The bank that the check is drawn on is supposedly JP Morgan Chase Bank.
I am not to act on this notice until I contact my claims agent so as to avoid cases of misappropriation and mishandling of prize monies. It shows that my tax agent's name is Stuart Wilkens, and it says the tax amount is $2992.00. There is a cut-off slip at the bottom of the letter that I am supposed to sign and give to the representative after I receive my check for $151,129.60.
There were several grammatical and punctuation mistakes in the letter. This was one indicator that this was not a legitimate prize. I never called the number, but I assume that if I had, they would have asked me for a small amount of money in order to claim my large "prize."