I was called on September 29 by Brenda from British Austrialian Sweepstakes stating I had won 3.5 million dollars. I was told I had entered the sweepstakes and had received two prior letters (which I had never received) and did not respond. When I told her I did not receive the letters, she said it could be from my subscription to Reader's Digest which automatically enters me in their sweepstakes.
I told her I have never subscribed to Reader's Digest. She said all I needed to do to claim the money, which would be Federal Expressed to me in 5 hours, was to pay $995.00 which would pay for international taxes and I would not be taxed in the U.S. I told her I needed to know what bank was issuing me this check. She first gave me a check #4801 and a Personal I.D. #20143378 which I was to tell the person answering the phone at Caribbean Merchant Bank, a subsidiary of Pancaribbean Merchant Bank, Phone #1-876-536-8615. I called that number. The gentleman who answered asked me my name, check #, and Personal I.D. He said he indeed had a check at the bank waiting for me. Something didn't feel right.
I looked on the internet and couldn't find Caribbean Merchant Bank. I called the operator and asked her where 876 was and I was told Jamaica. I then went on-line and looked up banks in Jamaica. I came across Pancaribbean Merchant Bank and thought I had misunderstood the gentleman. I called a number from one of the branches of Pancaribbean Merchant Bank. They had never heard of Caribbean Merchant Bank and the Manager, Peta, was very upset that the reputation of Pancaribbean Merchant Bank was being abused. She went on to say that 876-536-8615 would be a cell phone number and not a bank number.
She took down all the information and was getting authorities involved in this scam. After hanging up, I called Brenda back and asked if I could send $200.00 instead of $995.00. She said she would call the Austrialian people handling the sweepstakes and after five minutes I was to call back. I called back and she said I should go to Western Union with $200.00 and send it to Mr. Omar Brown at 1 King Street, Kingston, Jamaica WI. I was to call her back after I did this and the 3.5 million dollars would be arriving within 5 hours. I then decided to look up British Austrialian Sweepstakes to see if this was legitimate and the first thing that popped up was rip-offs on the same sweepstakes from 2001. I was appalled. There was a number given to the National Fradulent Society which I called and gave all my information. I also called the Secret Service in the United States who are going to look into this scam also.
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