I got the same letter today,and like you I knew that wasn,t enough taxes to have to pay on that amount.Wise up everyone,this is nothing but a rotten dirty scam,DD NOT BE TAKEN IN BY THIS,

I also received the same letter today...was mailed to a house I never lived in, just had a phone in my name there. The new residents looked me up to let me know about the mail. Therefore since my ONLY affiliation to the address they sent this letter to was a old phone account, I'm guessing they're pooling info from phone services. I hope they get caught real soon!!

Please, can somebody explain with more detail about this letter. This is a fake letter? what if you cash this check? what happens?

got the same today, letter from canda check from colordo, not enough for taxes is right mine is dated for aprial 12 and says void after 60 days i got it in sept.  if anyone deposits check they get your signature and bank account fall for this if you want. not me just a little smarter then this.

I got the letter today, thought it was odd as I didn't remember entering any contest. I called and they told me the check was to pay taxes on my winnings. 3800.00 to pay taxes on 125,000.00. Just not quite enough to pay taxes on that amount.
I admit I was exited but decided to check it out for myself online. Good thing I did. Guess I'll shred it, or maybe frame the check as a reminder

Received one of their ingenious letters today... No doubt a hoax.    Check states the bank is in Springfield, VA.  Post mark is from Canada, routing number is from a Wacovia Bank.  They will try anything won't they.  Read other posts below...

We got it too.  Throwing it in the trash!

Report it as mail fraud to the United States Postal Service on their website.  They have the largest penalties if they catch the guys.  The more reports, the better chance of getting caught.  You MIGHT get your money back!

My husband also recieved a letter and check written on a bank in Miami Florida. Bank name City National Bank.I read an article to contact the Royal Canadian Mounted police at 1-613-993-7267, When I called them they gave me a different number to call...The Commercial Fraud number in Canada which is 1-613-993-6884....Please don NOT cash this check or deposit it. IT IS A SCAM......My mother in law has lung cancer and needs money to help out....so glad i checked this out before we made any decisions.....Would have been a complete diaster

Recieved the letter that has been described by others. I did call and was told to deposit the check etc. What made me question this was the part about paying through Western Union.This is such a scam... check and letter have been torn up!!!

yes they should be put in jail. my daughter got scammed like this be fore we had to help her with $2000.00 times like this is was very hard to come up with the money but i didnt want my little girl going to jail these people who scam people need to be in jail!!!!!!!!!!!

I received one as well in Atlanta GA, check was drawn off Guaranty Bank & Trust Co. out of Denver with a company name of CMS Holdings Group, LLC - which both are legit companies.  These guys have done their homework and these checks excellent replicas.  Mine even has a watermark - however I was suspicous for the fact that if you when ANY kind of prize, monetary, physical like a car etc.  You receive your notification via a signature required mail source (Fed-X, UPS w/ sig required, certified letter etc.) mine came in a plain envelope with no return address just a canadian stamp.  

EVERYONE should just "google" any company name, words etc. on documents and you will find information such as this to confirm it's fraud.  Like the saying goes - "if doesn't feel/seem/smell right - go with your first instinct that it's not"

I received the check and automatically figured it was a scam as well. However, I was thinking like you....figure out how to scam the scammers!!! My check is drawn on JP Morgan Chase Bank. I have thought about taking check to Chase to cash, not to deposit!

thanks i am soooo happy i did not fall into this trap. i know a lot of people are desperate for cash  and probably feel this is the solution to there problems.what a scam!!!!!!!!

i had just recieved a letter from the compensation and appreciation Bonanza.  I called about the winnings of 125,ooo.oo with a check attached for 3,980.00. when i asked what this was about, he just went into a written dialogue that probably rehearsed. Now, that I took a second to look this up on the computer, it hit me; this is a scam.  I asked if this was for any kind of loan and michael thomas replied no. Why aren,t these guys looking on the computer to see what is being said about them. all he wanted was for me to deposit the check within three days from the day i called him 4/12/10. I am glad i found you guys expressing your thoughts on this scam. I am calling the attorney general to report this craziness. this guy should be put into jail! STAT!!

thank you sool much icall howard enslry sheriff do you were they live were we can find them

Do everything in your power to cover that check.  Take out a bank loan.  Borrow from relatives.  That check WILL bounce.  If you have the money in your account the bank will take it and a fee and that will be the end of it.  If you can't cover the check they'll file criminal charges.

If you cash the check the bank gives the money to you.  When it bounces they get it back from you, and they charge penalties and interest.  They go after you even if your account has been closed.  

Cashing the check will backfire and hurt you.  It won't hurt the scammers.

ditto above,the information was taken from public records, spelling on last name is incorrect so we know that it was not selected in a drawing. If you deposit the check it will not go through. If you call them they will want you to pay  them a tax amount that is phony or money in there pocket. Do not send money to them if your check has not gone through yet. Its a SCAM............Do not waist your time cashing your check.

cash check no money in bank what should i do

A check arrives in the amount of $3980.00 with a request to spend $2980.00 of it to pay the taxes on  $125,000.00, less than 2.4% compensation to cover the taxes. Those numbers don't work so I looked up the bank and the routing number 031318619 goes to a M&T bank in Amhurst, NY. The Slippery Rock University of PA is on 1 Morrow way.
This looks so convincing if you didn't research it you'd cash the check only to have it bounce and you'd be out the $2980.00.
Very clever!
THIS IS A SCAM! DO NOT DO THIS!
ALL COPIES SHOULD BE SENT TO YOUR STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE FOR REVIEW AS THESE ARE SOME PRETTY CLEVER SCAMMERS.... DO NOT CASH THE CHECK.

i also got a letter in the mail from this company called spotfunds consultants.they told me that i had been picked from a random computer ballot system. they said i was entered in the drawing b/c i had shoped at walmart, kholes, walgreens, jc'pennys ect. with in the last 8 months. inside the letter they enclosed a check. the check was for 3,980.00. the letter stated that i won $125,000.00  and that the 3,980.00 dollars was to be used to pay goverment taxs. they told me to call my claim aggent NICHOLAS THOMAS.. i contacted the ny state police and the attorney general's office, they quickly explained to me that this was a scam and that these people are looking to get your social security # and bank account information. they want you to deposit the check in to your account and then send the money to whatever  made up company. after that they never contact you again. the bank soon finds out the check is no good and then the bank wants you to pay back the $3,980.00. it is all a big scam what ever you do,DON'T DEPOSIT THE CHECK!!!!!!!!!!!! or GIVE OUT YOUR SOCIAL OR ANY OTHER BANK INFORMATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i truely hope these people get caught and thrown in jail....

we received the same fraudulent check, spoke to Nicholas Thomas at 416-835-0753 and asked what the Western Union # is, he said to cash the check first.  We asked for the government tax agent western union number, he said he did not have it.

Has anyone tried to cash their "check"?

Has anyone thought about cashing the check in their account, then cancelling their checking account to scam the scammer?  

Has anyone thought how to scam them back to get them out of their $3,980.00?

And why is the check drawn on Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvanis address on the check?
Ours is drawn off of M & T Bank in Wilkes-Barre, PA  

This is bs and want to see a way around it. . . .

Thanks for anyone out there that can give us any more information on this scam. . .

i got this check in the mail for 3980.00 to pay taxes on $121,20.00. thought that would not be enough but wasn't sure. I have put it in the trash when I read reports that it was a scam. They need to be punished for sending out such garbage.

Definitivamente es un robo en grandes escalas.

Tanto quien emite el cheque fraudulento relacionado con el "premio fantasma" -Quad Int'l Incorporated (1629 NW 84 Ave Miami, Fl 33126)-   como  quien paga el dinero por este fraude  -City National Bank of Florida (25 West Flagler street  Miami, Fl 33130)- estan en una situation comprometedora que pienso debe ser esclarecida por las autoridades. Estoy segura que ellos saben quien esta detras de todo esto y no dudo de su complicidad en el asunto.
Yo estoy siendo una victima mas y aunque no cai en la trampa estoy muy asustada, no duermo y sobre todo tengo miedo porque esos estafadores poseen toda mi information y esa gente es capaz de cualquier cosa. Por si acaso tengo a mi abogado en alerta. Por si acaso todos los dias vengo para casa de mis amigos y aqui paso el dia hasta que mi sobrino me recoge.

Spotfund  Consultants  are  fraudulant. If you get a mail from these  guys  throw it out. They are  sending  phony checks stating  you won an amount  of  money for  a  "Customer  and Compensation and Appreciation Bonanza"  Don't  believe  it!   Don't call the  number. Throw  out  any and all mailings.  They are  debt  collectors  and  are  trying  anything and everything  to get you to call them.

la persona que tiene a su nombre este numero esta cometiendo fraudes por todo el pais por favor creanme