Complaint Review: Cable Info Plus - Cornwall Ontario

This one came to me on October 26, 2007:

The Envelope indicates the mailing comes from French Canadian territory and was posted with a metering of 00.93 Canadian. Return Address:

CABLE INFO PLUS

PO BOX 135 CORNWALL ONT.

Included is the following letter (mis-spellings included):

CABLE & WIRELESS SWEEPSTAKES

___________________________________

Attention: Your Name Here

SERAL#500xx-00xx

WINNING CLAIM # 00xx-07

WINNING NOTIFICATION

-----------------------

Congratulation! CABLE & WIRELESS SWEEPSTAKES are pleased to inform you that you are among the First prize winner after the prestigious super grant draw has set out and successfully organized a sweepstakes for names in our data base randomly selected by a computer. This is a 2007/2008 program for users of HOME TELEPHONE, INTERNET, CABLE & WIRELESS NETWORK (CELLPHONE/PAGERS).

Being the first prize winning a total of $50,000 has been awarded to you this draw has held on April 2007. CABLE & WIRELESS SWEEPSTAKES has add the to your winning notification an assisting check of $3,770.00 that will assist you in getting through with the FEDERAL AND STATE TAXES.

A total of 10% will be taken out from your total winnings of ($50,000.00) as a sponsorship commission. By law you are not required to use your personal funds for this fee your assisting check will be use for this fee.

For more information on how to claim your grant you must call to speak to your assign agent.

ASSIGN AGENT: DANIEL BLOCK- 1-306-351-5540

JULIE DURRING (ESQ) TAMMIA SCOTT

DIRECTOR LIBERTY PLUS PRIZE COORDINATOR

{julie durring signature here}

CABLE&WIRELESS SWEEPSTAKES

8250 POLLOCK DRIVE

BUILDING 112

LAS VEGAS

NV 89441 PACKAGE IN CANADA

_____________________________

Enclosed was a $3 Check from:

Abitibi-Consolidated Corp.

Recycling Division

340 N. sam Houston Parkway East

Suite 105

Houston, Texas 77060 Cheque NO 00123456

This check was visually convincing with colored background and MICR printing and was printed on the back with a security features legend.

I contacted the Lasalle Bank in Chicago as was represented on the check.

First off I learned the routing number did not match the bank for ANY of their branches. There was and additional 8 digit bracket of MICR encoded numbers that the bank rep informed would NEVER even be printed on a valid check.

This check is a lame forgery even though it looks convincing on first glance!

I looked up the 306 area code and learned I could call Canada for free on my Comcast phone so I called "Daniel Block" at the number in the letter.

The person claiming to be Daniel Block informed me Abitibi was the "Sponsor" of a sweeptakes that was drawn from a database of customers who had Cable TV, Wireless phone service, Internet, and pager customers who had been chosen at random from a computer database to win cash prizes. I asked him why the letter had so many spelling and grammar errors and he said it was because it if written by French speaking Canadians. He tells me that the 10% or 5 grand of the 50 grand is where the 3,770 comes from and that as "Administrators" of the prize distribution they take a 1,230 dollar cut. He said to take the check and deposit it then call him back and ask for x300 to talk to the Claim department.

He never asked my personal info or callback and I would not have given it. He told me my "Seral" number and Winning Claim # were my key to a 45,000 package they would ship to me with a tracking number for FEDX and a webpage to track my shipment. I was to call them and they would tell me where to go to pay my "taxes" and get my Tax Exemption Forms for the IRS to show with my ID when the package with $45,000 arrived via courier from FEDX.

I emailed the Postal Inspector but they are snails and closed early yesterday. I spoke with an FBI agent who directed me to turn the phone number over to the Royal Canadian Police and the mailing over to my local US Postal Inspector.

Hopefully this Report will help people realize these fraudulent Schemes are always evolving like a computer virus. Always verify a suspicious check before deposit or you may be held responsible for the fraud and pay fines for cashing the bad check as well!!!

Quinoa

Oregon City, Oregon

U.S.A.