Watchdog
Los Angeles,#2Consumer Comment
Wed, March 04, 2009
Companies calling themselves Hatch International World Sweepstakes AND Ambassador International World Sweepstakes (no such companies exist) have been scamming (and attempting to scam) individuals by pretending to give away prize money lottery. The non-existent companies send an AWARD WINNING NOTIFICATION LETTER and a COUNTERFEIT CASHIER'S CHECK in a plain envelope that is postmarked from Canada. The sender of the counterfeit check, a woman signing the letter who is identified as HANDA TRUDEL (no such person exists) instructs the receiver of the check to call LAURA ALLEN OR MICHAEL SIMMONS (no such persons exist), at a 514 area code (CANADA). The individual(s) who answer the (pay as you go) cell phone instruct the receiver of the COUNTERFEIT CASHIER'S CHECK to deposit the check and to send an international wire via MoneyGram or Western Union. The COUNTERFEIT cashier's check may resemble an official cashier's check, but it is NOT an official check. The check should not be deposited and will not clear. "Ambassador International World Sweepstakes" and "Hatch International World Sweepstakes" are both posted on the Internet as a widely reported scams. Many innocent victims throughout the U.S. have been targeted and many different banks cashier's checks are being used to perpetrate the scheme. The amounts of the counterfeit checks vary, but one thing is certain, the checks are all COUNTERFEIT. Since you are a target of this cross-border counterfeit check scam, you should independently report the scam to FTC: CALL: 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). OR INTERNET: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre40.shtm OR Postal Inspector: https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/contactUs/filecomplaint.aspx Without your reports, law enforcement may not investigate and the fraudsters will continue to target more victims. Stay safe.