Reveive a letter with a check.

We receives this same scam  last week addressed to the previous home owner. The check looks  completely REAL, but what tipped me off was  the envelope was from Canada and had no return address.  My first though was to return the envelope since it was not addresses to me.  Also, even though the check looks real, the attached letter was  less convincing.

YEP, I ALSO RECEIVED THE SAME CHECK WITH THE SAME WINNING NUMBERS AND PHONE NUMBER...  SURE DOES LOOK REAL THOUGH.  JUST WONDERING HOW THESE PEOPLE GOT MY INFORMATION??   OH WELL, KNEW IT WAS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE...

Hello everyone! I hope everyone gets to read this. This is a complete scam, I work for the company who's name is on the check you are all receiving. Unfortunately, this has been going on for a week or two now and we have no way of stopping it. We have cancelled all our bank accounts leading to this account of these falsified checks. We have been receiving calls from all over the United States and we appreciate everyone contacting us about this horrible situation. I wanted to personally write on this site to let anyone who comes on here know that it is a complete SCAM and if you send them your money you will be scammed as well. Anyone who receives this letter from NOVATRUST FINANCIAL SERVICES-- Claim number RT-403-943-TF, Phone Number 1-778-891-6549, from Claims Agent Jim Martins, PLEASE KNOW THIS IS A SCAM.

i got the same letter here in CT only its a sweepstakes and not lottery is it the same thing? any info would be great!

I got the same letter today 9-2-2010 with the same information same winning numbers but it was based in Canada and the number was 778-891-6549. But something told me it was a scam from the jump start. I wish there was something to stop people from doing this. They should just try getting a job and making an honest living!!

Hey everyone who has gotten the same letter as me.I also called these people like an idiot and played into thier game!What a bunch of dumb a***s!I hope law enforcement finds them!

Hello I just received the same letter in the mail yesterday.  I am glad I investigated this and found my answer.  I hate scam artists.  In the shredder it goes.  Thanks for the info!!

I got that same letter and everything and when i started asking him questions he started to get rude with me and everything. That 778 area code is from British Columbia if you ever call and see it pop up on you cell phone number that is what BC stands for. They are just a bunch of people trying to get money to probably start a cartel or something else. Everyone just be careful. Contact your local newspaper company or tv stations to get this information out so that noone else would get scammed out of thousands of money.

I received that same letter yesterday went to the bank this morning to see if it was legit. The routing numbers were legit but the check was a fake. Whoever these people are they all have funny accents like they are from Columbia or some other country and are hacking into these companies banking information. If you do receive one of these checks contact your local authorities IMMEDIATELY! Do not hesitate and then maybe when you do that you can have them trace the call when you call them back and ack like you actually did what they said.  Too many people have already got scammed and you will be the one responsible for paying the money back to the bank not them or go to prison.

Same here 8-30-10

Got a letter with them same serial numbers & lucky winning numbers here in Akron Ohio also, different number listed though. It Is 778-891-6549... 8-30-2010

YES IT IS A SCAM  - see my post about counterfeit check scams

Also www.ftc.gov

its a counterfeit check scam - Fake Checks - GUARANTEED TO BOUNCE after you wire the money they claim you have to pay

FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION WEBSITE HAS LOTS OF INFO ON SCAMS How to spot and avoid.

ITS illegal to request YOU pay to receive a prize!  Legitimate sweepstakes would not do this. They also will not send checks just to have you WIRE most of it back.  

Giving The Bounce To Counterfeit Check Scams
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/articles/naps29.pdf

NAPS)?A new scam is swindling consumers: checks that seem legitimate to both bank employees and consumers, but that are counterfeit and leave unsuspecting consumers footingthe bill.

The Federal Trade Commission has a new brochure, ?Giving the Bounce to Counterfeit Check Scams,? which explains common angles used in these scams, the responsibilities of banks and consumers when it comes to counterfeit checks, and advice on how to avoid them.

While the angles used by scam artists may vary, the basics of the counterfeit check scam remain the same.

The consumer receives a generous check with an explanation that he or she has just won an award, a prize, a lottery or some other windfall.

The consumer is instructed to deposit the check and wire a portion back to pay fees, taxes or the like. The consumer deposits the check, the bank credits the funds to the consumer?s account and the consumer wires the money to the sender.

Some time later, both the bank and the consumer learn the check was bogus. Unfortunately, the consumer is out of luck: The money that was wired can?t be retrieved and, by law, the consumer is responsible for the deposited check?even though he or she didn?t know it was fake.

The FTC advises consumers not to rely on funds from checks unless they know and trust the person who gave them the checkor, better yet, until the bank confirms that the check has cleared.

Other tips:

? Throw away any offer that asks you to pay for a prize or a
gift. If it?s free or a gift, you shouldn?t pay for it.

? Resist the urge to enter foreign lotteries. It?s illegal to play a foreign lottery through the mail or the telephone, and most foreign lottery solicitations are phony.

? Know who you?re dealing with and never wire money to strangers.

? If you?re selling something, don?t accept a check for more than the selling price, no matter how tempting the offer or how convincingthe story. Ask the buyer to write the check for the correct amount. If the buyer refuses to send the correct amount, return the check. Don?t send the merchandise.

? If you accept payment by check, ask for a check drawn on a local bank or a bank with a local branch. That way, you can make a personal visit to make sure the check is valid.

? If the buyer insists that you wire back funds, end the transaction immediately.

? Resist any pressure to ?act now.? If the buyer?s offer is good now, it should be good after the check clears.

To file a complaint and for more information, visit www.ftc.gov.

I'm in California and I just received a letter from Novatrust telling me to contact Jim Martins @ 778-891-6549.  Serial number 5928549 for lucky numbers 11-25-31-37-49.  Says I won US $450,000.00 and that there was a check for US $4800.00 to cover tax amount of $3750.00 US DOLLARS.  First clue that it was a scam was how the letter keeps sayings "US DOLLARS" because a real US company wouldn't say that.  Looked up the area code online and it said 778 was an overlay area code for vancouver, Canada.  The check is a bank of america check issued by FIRST UNUM Insurance Company on park avenue in NEW YORK.  I'm going to turn it over to the fraud department @ bank of america.
I'm not sure if they tried calling because I don't answer telemarketing calls.

Got this letter today, same info, knew it was fishy considering I never entered any contest. Check looks amazingly real. Probably would pass as a good check, cash it,  send the scammers their cut, and then once the bank finds out later the check is no good they take it out of your account, and the money you have sent to the scammers is gone. Find it funny the scammers leave you with some money in the end.

Got mine today.............Illinois!  Didn't get a call, just a letter and a check!  Taking it to Bank of America tomorrow, that is the bank that it is drawn on.

I got the same lettery same everything. Say only 5 other people recieved this....lots of people seem to have the same letter.

Same letter same numbers and I live in MI.

i got the same letter 8-29-10. Same numbers with the same iinformation. I wish there was a way to turn the tables on these people and find them. These are tough times for people and playing with them is just wtong.

How do u guys know if it was fake? I don't read where anybody actually called or try to cash it.

I got that fake letter with the same check and phone num

I received the same check and letter with the same #'s....i knew right away this was a scam. Thankfully i work at a bank and I have seen this before...I can't wait to call and play some mind games with this freak. ;)

Got a letter today as well, along with a check for $4800.00, saying I won $450,000.00...mailed from Canada.

Got a letter with them same serial numbers & lucky winning numbers here in KS also, different number listed though. It Is 778-891-6549...

My husband got this in Oklahoma. Same everything. "Won" $480,000;check for $4800, $3750 taxes due.

I DIDN'T GET A CALL MINE WAS A LETTER WITH  A CHECK ENCLOSED.

My Mom got a letter a couple of days ago with all the same information....same serial number, phone number, mans name.  Thankfully she asked me to check on it for her as thought it was a scam to hit up old people.  She is almost 80 and has little money.  Wouldn't this be nice if it were real!  How do we stop these people?!  Ours was not a call but a letter

Customer brought same information in..So they are in Kansas also..

my mother just got the same letter with serial number and lottery numbers. She is in MO.