Recently, I received a letter on my regular mail that I won a sweepstake for a $150,000 in the second category of the North American Retailers Guilds
promotional program. Never heard of it. But since I'm always singning up for
sweepstakes and random cash prices, etc., I went along with it. The letter came with a check for $3990 in which I was supposed to use $2920 to pay the taxes. That should have been my first red flag but I was so excited that it was blocked from my reasoning thinking. There's no way you're going to pay only that much for that much money. I think it's 35% deductions for taxes, so that's not even that. The second flag was that when I talk to the
claim agent, whose name is Nicole Hamilton, she had very strong accent and had a hard time understanding her English. She sounded like African or something. I was very in doubt at that moment but went along with it like a fool. She told me that I had to pay the taxes in order to get the check the next day by Federal Express overnight service. I had to send it to some goof
ball somewhere in Canada. Another flag...
The next day I deposited the check and called her. I told her the check had
to clear before I can send anything. She said it normally takes a few business days, but the next day it cleared. I think God was in my side because I had difficulties finding a tel. # for Western Union, in which was the mode she wanted me to send the money by. The currency exchange attendant told me how much it would cost me to send the money but asked me if I knew who was I sending the money to since Canada is known to scam innocent people greatly. That's when my brain began to work and decided to
wait a few days to make sure that check had funds in it. Well, the next day, I saw the $3990 disappear from my savings account along with a return check fee of $19 and I took a deep, deep breath in disgust... I almost got scammed! I did lose $19 in the process and a wasted trip to the bank, but it could've been a lot, a lot, a lot worse! Don't fall for this scam! Too many red flags! Always do research before making a move!
Juni
Chicago, Illinois
U.S.A.
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