Be forewarned if you ever receive a specific plain white envelope in the mail, without any return address on the front. It will contain a single letter (possibly folded poorly) as well as a check for $3, 987.85. But don't lose all sense because of this large sum of money. Stay calm and be prepared.
Expect the letter to say (This part was copied straight from letter, EXACTLY as it was typed and received. All mistakes seen here are not by accident or on account of my poor typing skills, but rather the original writer's. I attest to this and will hold onto this letter if further evidence is required.);
"United Financial
235 3545-35 Ave N.E Suite 409, Calgary Alberta T1Y 6M6 : Tel 1-705 770 4429
A Division of United Rentals12802 Tampa Oaks Blvd. Ste, 350 Temple Terrace, FL 33637
(Your Name and Address here, broadly spaced, and a 'Ref #NPF' right across from it such as 'Ref #NPF 996461W058')
DATE Jan 23, 2008
We are pleased to inform you through this letter that our network shows you as the lucky winner of the unclaimed prize money in the amount of Fifty Seven Thousand Dollars & ($57, 000.00) in United State funds. The system indicates that, your name was randomly selected through a computerized ballot system as a winner for the 2007 sweepstakes -- draws. Congratulations!!
All Participants were selected through a computerized ballot system drawn from Readers Digest, Publishers Clearing House, Online Sweepstakes, Internet Games etc
Enclosed, is a Check of (3, 987.85).which covers both the administrative payment and clearance fees of your winnings. For authorizing and processing of your price, please contact your agent {Lucinda Johnson} at {TEL:1-705 770 4429.} Your winnings must be claimed not later than {Feb 13 2008.} [{} added-- Both the name and the date will be in red and the telephone number will be in bold]
Your name is attached to claim number {US/CA-09/02-099WD}. We advice you keep your claim number confidentially secured until your claim is processed and funds remitted as this is part of our security protocol. [{} added-- claim number will be in red]
Please remember to quote your number in all correspondence with us in order to avoid unnecessary delays. Congratulations again from our staff and sponsors.
(Printed/not original signature of David Stewart)
David Stewart
PRIZE C0-ORDINATOR (This will be followed by three sets of numbers as you would see them on the bottom of a check --same font. The numbers, for example, would be 00077448173 061070365004466780 208800)
UNITED FINANCIAL. [in blue]
A Division of United Rentals12802 Tampa Oaks Blvd. Ste, 350 Temple Terrace, FL 33637"
If right away you haven't been turned off by the unprofessional manner of the letter -filled with all of its errors and misspellings- just wait. We're not done yet.
On the check you'll find as follows (Beginning at the top left side -reading it as you would a book- and ending at the bottom right);
(USS logo in top left corner) United States Steel Corporation
705 770 2306
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
Disbursing Agent
Payable Date
01/23/08
(some form of check number) 094360
(two small boxes, one on top of the other) Top one says 17-1, bottom one says 910.
Payable at Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
THREE THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED EIGHTY SEVEN AND 85/100 U.S. Dollars (another box) AMOUNT OF CHECK $3, 987.85
(Your name and address here, very broadly and awkwardly spaced)
A printed signature of a one Todd J. May on the Authorized Signature line.
And then three sets of numbers as you would see on the bottom of a check -- 094360 (double vertical lines followed by a black tiny square will be at the start and finish of this number) 091000019 (a single vertical line followed by two black tiny squares, one on top of the other, starting and finishing this number) 6581199483 (and a double with a single again ending this last set of numbers).
This check will pass all the check regulations... If you take it to the bank they will put it underneath a UV light and the required symbols will all be there. Its a near perfect fake. But DO NOT DEPOSIT IT.
I was able to find the United States Steel Corporations main web page online, same logo and all, (https://www.ussteel.com/corp/index.asp) and found a totally different phone number for them than is on the check. I called that number and spoke with someone (Forgive me, I forget the lady's name... I think it may have been Pam) to find out if this check is for real, and was very much informed my suspicions were correct. Its not. And the Wells Fargo Bank is actually attempting to find the people behind this hoax, so I was asked to fax a copy of the check to the Steel Corp so they could get it to them in hopes to aid their investigation.
But all in all, be assured that this is nothing short of a scam. And I may not have done so, but I would hate to think what would have happened if I had tried to put it in the bank. Its true... if something seems too good to be true, then it probably is.
Lauri
Virginia Beach, Virginia
U.S.A.
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