I was sent a prize notification claiming that I had won $120, 000.00. I was informed via letter that I had to claim my prize by cashing the check and sending some "bond fees" back to them via Western Union. I called to verify the funds were available through Mellon Bank (the bank the check was issued on). The account was not viable and of course their were no funds available. I had investigated the account before I called the "Claim Agent" and was told the check had to be cashed at my bank. When I asked if I could cash the check at a Mellon Bank branch I was told no. When I inquired as to why the account was not valid I was told that no bank can give out that information and that I was misinformed.
Every bank will verify funds on a check that you have. The check is a legal contract between you and the person that wrote the check and the bank is bound to verify the funds. I also searched the web for a company to match the name to... there of course was no company associated with the name. When asked about that I was informed that the site had recently crashed and was in reconstruction. I am thankful that I was not the next mark.
To a desperate individual that wants the winnings to be true it can be intoxicating. As consumers we can easily let our dreams outweigh our good sense. Beware, if it is too good to be true, then it probably is. Think before you act.
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