Received letter with no return address at my home. Award claim notification that said I won $25, 000 in an annual sweepstakes through a random computer ballot system held on June 20, 2008.
Tried to contact me by phone, but "error in published telephone system". I was 1 of 20 winners to share $500, 000.
Issued me a confidential claim number and said the enclosed check for $4, 575.00 was to pay IRS taxes of $3, 575.00 to a tax agent by using "Money Gram" in Walmart or elsewhere.
Gave me a name and phone number to contact before cashing check.
I was told the company was working with visa and mastercard to find winners of unclaimed prizes. Sending me a letter was the last resort after many attempts to reach me by phone. He told me to safeguard my claim number and wait until the check cleared before paying the tax agent. If I did not pay the tax agent, I could keep the $4, 575.00 and the remaining $20, 425.00 would not be paid to anyone. The check appeared genuine, and was drawn on a real bank in Westminster R.I.. However, there was no company name on the check (only the name and address of the bank with the wrong zip code).
I gave the check to my bank to investigate and have not received a report from them as of yet.
Nick
Marion, Arkansas
U.S.A.
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