I rec'd a very realistic check drawn on First Security Bank from Presbyterian Village in AR. The envelope came from Canada. On top of the letter it had an England address stating I had won $125,000 in a Mega Millions Sweepstakes. It gave me a Canadian phone number to call with a claim number and I was to speak to Paul William re: my winnings. I spoke to him and he stated I could deposit the check at my bank and call him back tomorrow to find out when they would send the remaining money I am owed. When I asked why I had to pay $3,224 for a tax clearance fee he said I didn't have to but I would not receive the remaining money I was owed, which was $120,550.
I decided to investigate by going to the BBB site. Presbyterian Village is a retirement home in AR with an A rating. I decided to call them directly since the phone number on the BBB was different than the one on the letter. After speaking to them I found out that they were in AR, this scam has been going on for over a year and that the check would be real if the account was not closed. The funds would come from Presbyterian Village, not the lottery and sweepstakes services. Since the account was closed if i decided to deposit it into my account it would not clear and cost me money for a bank fee.
When I tried to call "Mr. Paul William" back the same day, he said I had to wait until tomorrow to call and find out when they would be giving me the rest of the money. He knew I had just called and then hung up on me. Obviously this is a very good scam. I hope nobody falls for this. If you have to pay any money including what they call a clearance fee to receive winnings it's a scam.
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