I received a letter and check in the mail. The letter is from Golden Financial Trust from the office of F. Collin, (Vice President Finance). The address was given as 5678 Church Street, Saint John, NB, Canada V9K 2Y6 with the phone number 1-778-316-9273. The letter was dated 21th August, 2008 instead of 21st. This was my first indication that something wasn't right.
The letter claimed that I was a winner in the "CONSUMER PROMOTION DRAW" organized for all the major stores in the USA and Canada, e.g., Wal-Mart, Sears, Home Depot, Safeway etc. It said I was entitled to a check for $250, 000.00 payable to me by CERTIFIED CHECK which will be delivered to me by a courier company (FedEx or UPS).
I was advised to contact the claims agent Diana Williams at 1-778-889-5494 between the hours of 8am to 6pm (Pacific Standard Time) for further instructions on how to claim my big winnings.
There was also enclosed a check (check #29122) in the amount of $4680.00. The check was from JET PLASTICA INDUSTRIES, INC. 1100 Schwab Rd, Hatfield, Pa 19440. It was drawn on PNC Bank, NA, METRO PARK PLAZA, EDSON, NJ 08818. The signature on the check was Woodrow Wilson.
In the letter it explained that this check was for the payment of (NON RESIDENTS) CANADIAN TAX which is applicable to my winnings. They explain that they're sending me this money so that I don't have to put up the money for the taxes myself. They indicate that the tax in the amount of $3970.00 is payable by MONEYGRAM to my tax agent Victoria Dews, 854 9th Avenue, Saint John, NB, Canada. Lastly the letter says "DO NOT ACT ON THIS LETTER UNTIL YOU SPEAK WITH YOUR CLAIMS AGENT" for advice on how to claim my winnings.
I called Diana Williams at the given number. She told me that indeed I had won. I asked if this was real and if there were any strings attached. She said it was real and that there were no strings attached. She told me that I would be receiving the winnings check by courier on Friday, September 12 (three days from now). She told me to deposit the check for $4680.00 and to call her once I had done so.
I went to the local credit union to see if they thought the check was authentic. They said that superficially it looked real, however after a bit of investigation and a conversation with JET PLASTICA INDUSTRIES, INC. we learned that this was indeed a scam and that somehow these people calling themselves Golden Financial Trust must have gotten a hold of some of JET PLASTICA INDUSTRIE'S checks.
Of course, I now see that had I deposited this check Golden Financial Trust would have required payment of the $3970.00 CANADIAN TAX by MONEYGRAM which is guaranteed, before releasing the $250, 000.00. I'm sure they would've reassured me concerning the checks validity and authenticity and encouraged me not to worry about the check clearing. They would've gotten their $3970.00, the check for $4680.00 would've been bad sticking me with $3970 plus any fees.
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