On October 20th, 2009, I received a plain white envelope through the US mail with no return address. The postmark and stamp are Canadian. Inside the envelop is a letter with official looking prize #s and Claim#s, but the letter is not addressed to me by name. The letter indicates I have one some prize from the FREDLOYA PRODUCTS CONTEST. I have entered that or any contest. The company sending the letter states they must have my winnings claimed by October 30th, 2009.
With the letter is enclosed a real looking check for $4,810.00 drawn on Frost Bank in Fort Worth, Texas. It comes from Fredloya Companies Inc, 507 N O Connor Rd in Irving, Texas 75061. It is for a "portion of my winnings and to help pay legal, insurance and processing fees that I may encounter". I am supposed to call one of their Agents Tom Gate or Lucy Clark at 1-845-943-4648. I did not call them.
Per the letter, to activate the check and claim the "big" prize of $99,000, I must first wire $3,600.00 (a non resident transit fee) payable to the Tax Agent: Doris Wills at 163 Airport Rd, Toronto, On, Canada A1B 3X5.
The letter is on letterhead from Fredloya Financial Inc. at 400-2525 Grumman Ave, Toronto, On, T7Y 5J8, Canada. The letterhead appears homemade and is not centered and has no phone number for the company. It is signed by a Robert Anderson, whose signature is computer generated, Executive VP Operations. The letter is badly written in terms of grammar and the type is in four different colors. Their phone number, the word "activate", the Claim# and Doris' name and address are all in red.