The number is in Canada, connected with a scam organization in Malaysia and who knows where else.   The checks sent by this scam can be under numerous pretenses.  All check sent are counterfeit and if one were to cash them you would be held responsible and part and parcel to the scam.    Check I had received was for $500,000.00 to cash and then send to an individual that was being held against their will in Singapore and that I was to take 15% of the sum for my trouble in handling the transaction.  It is so not real.   I was able to put a stop to the person they were impersonating that actually is from Canada. They in turn called the RCMP - but have no idea what happened from there.  I still have the check, the letter, the phone call information and emails and plan on turning the information over to the FBI... Do know that the local police can not and will not do anything to assist.  That aspect of things is a joke from the US side.  The FBI would be the only agency that would and could do anything.  As you can see they use all sorts of methods to get $$$ from westerners.  We trust too much and they know it.

This is definitely a scam.  spoke to this person, connected with an operation in Malaysia.
Make sure you do not try to cash anything that you receive.  The checks they send out
are counterfeit  . Pathetic bunch of scumbag scammers.

Hi i received a check and a letter as well from Michael Quest, but the name of the company is GOLD RUSH SECURITIES INC. The check was made out to me for 15,000 US. I will report this to The Brampton Police Department. Thank you.
If u want to contact me my email is jeske.cindy@yahoo.com

i just received the same check. claiming that i won 9700 dollars but have to go to my tax agent and get a receipt and fax it to the number above but the same number to call them is the fax number. the number is to someone named mirren hall and the closing of the letter is richard langley promotion manager address 4310 conventry way victoria bc v6k 7p5. thanks for the heads up i was going to cash it until i read your comments.

Who is behind this number??

I agree with you. Thank you for your comments. My husband googled the information on the check and found that it was a scam. I can't believe the lengths that people will take these days to take advantage of hardworking innocent people. It is just horrible. I saved the letter to show my son so he will no just in case he gets one too. I wonder if these letters were only sent to the U.S. or to other countries as well...

Cashiers checks can be counterfeit. That's what this is.

This is a version of fake-check-for-Western-Union-money scam. The check they send you is fake but it takes a few days after depositing it to find out it's fake. The money you wire them via Western Union (Moneygram, etc.) is your own real money, the wiring process only takes short hours and the money irretrievable. Owing to the difference in processing times, the scammers will have your real money in hand before your bank learns their check is bad. You'll lose the money you send them and may be prosecuted for passing a bad check. You are effectively acting in the capacity of a bank for the scammer in exchanging your own money for his bad check. It's a scam. Take the check to the police and file a complaint with the US Postal Service Inspectors https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/forms/MailFraudComplaint.aspx

THIS IS A SCAM. This is a version of the overpayment scam http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt014.shtm where something may be an item you have for sale or a service you perform and the overpayment may be a fake cashier's check, a stolen credit/debit card, or stolen electronic funds into your bank account, and you have to cash/withdraw the excess amount and Western Union it to the scammer or his accomplice (movers, shipping agent, 3rd-party in another state, etc.). The overpayment they send you is fake, the excess amount you wire them is your own real money. You will be held financially responsible for the cash you wire them and may be prosecuted for passing a bad check or money laundering. If you give your bank account info, the scammers can empty it. Wired-cash is irretrievable - once it's picked up at the other end, it's untraceable and gone. If they want you to call them up for instructions, they may tell you not to discuss the wire with Western Union desk clerks but the real reason is WU clerks are familiar with these scams and will warn you not to wire the money. Report to US Postal Service Inspectors https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/forms/MailFraudComplaint.aspx , the Federal Communications Commission http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm , the Federal Trade Commission https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/ and your state AG, as appropriate.

Diego,  those are very didsturbing comments from you. People are providing their personal experiences regarding something which appearded to be legitimate and apparently looking for anyone who may have simular experiences, and all you can do is attack their character! You are the MORON!

I also received a check and called Michael Quest at 905-781-7030, and he wanted me to deposit the check and to let him know when it was deposited. I even enquired if this was a scammed which he said absolutelty not!
I was going to depoit it in the morning until I read these responses.

Same scam on our end.  Used work phone to call and ask what needed to be done to collect the money.  My letter is dated 4/1/11 and all of the informatio is identical with thornhill securities.  Let us all know how depositing the check went?

So what was the outcome?

i just did the same thing today and I told this michael quest( fake name guy) that I wasnt paying a thing until the check clears. I am pretty sure this is a scam , but who in the hell do we report this to?

We just recieved the exact same letter!! Different phone number to call, maybe people are catching up to them and they are switching phone numbers. Who do we report this to so they are stopped???

please keep me postage on what happen because thats the exact same thing i was told. let me know if the check clears then i will deposit mine. lol  you can email me debandmack@yahoo.com

I received the letter with a check from Thornhill Securities. I do believe that it is a scam because i called the number back and told them i have deposited the check and he gave me info to send the $2995.00 to saying its to the government and that is the reason they sent the check so i could use some of that money to pay for it. so now that i have deposited the money in the bank i need to go to western union and use some of that to send to pay the government taxes. after that i need to call him back with the reeipt # from western union and the rest of my money would be here in the morning.....I did not buy any of that i never put the check in the bank.....But i will contact the fbi and have them investigate.

Wife got letter and check/first niagara was the bank. Remitter is thornhill securities. One quote from letter-we urge you to keep this winning CONFIDENTIAL. My mother in law lost 100,000 to scammers a year ago. Sad we have leaches in our world like this.  Why can't our g'vment stop this sort of thing--too busy scamming us and starting wars!

See - you and I are thinking alike. THEY sent the letter to us telling us we won a lottery. Depositing the check seems like it should be OK. Put the money in the bank - don't send them anything and don't spend it. If the check clears and everything is OK, sweet! If your bank comes back and says the check doesn't clear, then you're not out anything.

The scam is the fact that you cash a check and then send them money (right away, before their check has a chance to clear) - they get the money from you and then their check for 3980 doesn't clear and you are out the 2995 you sent them. The part that has me confused is the fact that mine says it is a cashier's check. Cashier's checks have to be paid for before they are issued. I am sure it is a scam, but I think I am going to call the back and see if it is a cashiers check and see what they tell me will happen if I deposit it.

I just received a letter from Thornhill Securities for $3980 and called the same phone number. Micheal Quest said I had won because of purchases at WalMart or Home Depot.  He told me that I was to deposit the check in my bank. After that I would pay the taxes via Western Union and the very next day Fedex would deliver my check for $ 246,020 and that I would have to be there to sign, provide valid ID, and present the copy of the Western Union tax payment to the driver.  I did deposit the check from Westbury Bank (that looks genuine, even the bank thought so) as a precaution I gave a copy of the letter to my bank and my bank put a 10 day hold on the check. So I called Micheal back and told him I would not be paying the taxes until the check cleared my bank in 10 days and he told me to call him back at that time. I will keep you all posted on this scam

I just got the letter  and check from Bonk of America. Phone number to call was 289-894-0050. Said they were located in London, UK

Yes this is a SCAM!  But to be helpful, take it to the local banks and hopefully they can stop anyone (older or less wise) for being taken advantage of.  Contact you local TV news, and the authorities.

Just keep calling this idiot and keep his phone lines tied up....spineless piece of dog s***!!!

I got the same check and was told turn it into my local police department because it is a scam.  I was told that if I deposited the check i'm responsible for the money I take and spend.. I didn't get a call but the letter says Thornhill securities.

To everyone who received the letter with a check from Thornhill Securities. The Bank of America here in Nevada verified that the check was fradulent, therefore do not deposit it in your account just discard it. The Bank of America security office will investigate this fraud.

Jim

We too got a letter in the mail...

Prize and Promotions Presentation
Thornhill Securities, Inc.
306 Brixton Rd London UK SW9 6AE

Telephone #1-905-781-7930
(Claim Agent) Michael Quest
Rhonda Scott (Promotion Manager)

A cashier's check in the amount of $3,980.00...of course we should call before cashing...and keep CONFIDENTIAL!!
and we are suppose to send $2995.00 to the tax agent.  The cashier's check was from Bank of America

Tonight I  was playing around on the internet...and decided to see if anyone else has had the same letter sent to them...
Thank God we had the common sense to throw the check away  (after shredding it), And never called this Michael Quest  (which is probably a "fake" name anyway)!!  NO ONE gives money away for nothing!!  We have never played this lottery, especially in the UK!!
It's a shame that someone or possibly many will fall for this scam and be out money!!  
Money is too hard to come by..."IF IT SOUNDS TO GOOD TO BE TRUE.."  lol
Thanks for all your posts...hope others listen as well!!

yep. got a check for 3980.00 and thet said its for tax purposes. they want me to send them 2995.00 before i cash the check then they will send me my 250000. who are these people?

I am going to deposit this check into my savings account and see if it shows up and stays or if the bank sends me a notice that is is just crap. I will let you all know what happens LOL I am not going to call them either lets just call this the test run on this check

I got the same letter today and called but befor I did anything more I got on line and looked up the bank then   I looked up Thornhill Securities and found all these notes from people who got this letter too. I though it was a scam when they said they kept trying to get a hold of me and my husband is home all day and im home all night.but now I know for sure it is a scam I never heard of this lottery befor if wallmart was holding a lottery they would have signs all over the store on how to play.