Legitimate random BIGmoney win, or a SCAM to steal my identity/rob me?
 

Guys,

i really am a bit scared here...

I got a letter addressed to me in the mail from a "TNL Payment&Securities INC"
"Online Gambling.Com payment Verification Center.
Tel#: (905)598-2527"

The above is what it says in their letterhead and I have absolutely NO IDEA who they are...

Enclosed was a check for $700. (that appeared to be a REAL check, with a Credit Union name and watermark and all...)

The letter say that I won $32,860.00 USD and that I have until July 14th 2006 to call the phone number in the letter and claim my "Prize".
And it say in BIG BOLD letters in the middle of the letter:
"FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THESE DIRECTIVES WILL PRESUME US TO CONCLUDE THAT YOUR CHECK HAS BEEN LOST OR STOLEN WHICH WILL RESULT TO AUTOMATIC STOP PAYMENT ORDER OF CHECK."

All my quotes above I have word-for-word taken from the letter...

Now I'm 99.9% sure this is a scam, but how did this "Online Gambling.Com" place get my full name and mailing address???

There is no return address on the letterhead or on the envelope, but the postage was stamped
www.postescanada.ca
so this means it came from Canada...

Has anyone else received this "Scam"/Phishing letter?

What should I do?

Re: Legitimate random BIGmoney win, or a SCAM to steal my identity/rob
 

Take the check to a bank and get them to verify whether it is real or not. That's a good starting point, anyway.

Re: Legitimate random BIGmoney win, or a SCAM to steal my identity/rob
 

check into cash or some other check cashing joint? I mean yeah it's a scam but is there some way to get the 700 bucks?

Really you should toss it or report it to your states AG

Re: Legitimate random BIGmoney win, or a SCAM to steal my identity/rob me?
 

if you didnt win the money then it isnt yours so if you attemnpt to claim it you get what you deserve. it would be one thief stealing from another. be honest and throw it away and get on with life.

Re: Legitimate random BIGmoney win, or a SCAM to steal my identity/rob
 

[ QUOTE ]
Take the check to a bank and get them to verify whether it is real or not. That's a good starting point, anyway.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm afraid that if I call the Phone # on the letter that they'll get MY phone # from their caller ID and then try to "Pump me for information" so that
they can steal my identity or something...

And I'm afraid that if I cash the check that it will somehow LINK my
bank account with theirs and then they will SUCK the account dry...

The check is for $700. and they say that it will facilitate the payment of the balance of $32,160.00 USD to me...lol

The wording of the letter indicates scam, and the fact that there are no details as to "WHY" I won the amount also indicate SCAM...

...did I win it from PokerRoom's casino? OR
THE Gaming Club casino? or 888.com?

NO, it doesn't even tell me why or where I won the amount/what drawing it was, etc....which screams a scam!!!

BUT the check looks VERY real...it has the perforated tear at the top, the watermarks, and all the tiny details that a REAL bank check has...The check is 100% indistinguishable from a real bank check...so this has me wondering...

But without a real reason/justification for my winning I am not going to cash the check...but...OTOH, Going to some corner check cashing place sounds like an option...(but if the check's fake, then I'd be "screwing" the check casher, right?)

Re: Legitimate random BIGmoney win, or a SCAM to steal my identity/rob me?
 

[ QUOTE ]
if you didnt win the money then it isnt yours so if you attemnpt to claim it you get what you deserve. it would be one thief stealing from another. be honest and throw it away and get on with life.

[/ QUOTE ]

Good call...

But I can't be 100% sure that I did NOT win some random drawing, right?

And the amount (of ~$33K) hits me in my "Utility of Money curve" hard enough to make me really want to act on this...lol

I am going to probably take no action...but I could call the phone # on the letter from a Pay Phone or something I guess...
just for "entertainment value" if anything...

Re: Legitimate random BIGmoney win, or a SCAM to steal my identity/rob me?
 

Take it to the police, if they are in your state you can get them arrested.

Re: Legitimate random BIGmoney win, or a SCAM to steal my identity/rob
 

[ QUOTE ]
Take it to the police, if they are in your state you can get them arrested.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, if OP lives in Nigeria.

OP, it's a scam. Poke around the internet a little.

Re: Legitimate random BIGmoney win, or a SCAM to steal my identity/rob
 

Dude, get it checked out by someone.

Bank or police station would be a good first step.

Re: Legitimate random BIGmoney win, or a SCAM to steal my identity/rob me?
 

To add:

The phone # it tells me to call, "to contact their office:"
(416 820-1648) immediately"

This is different from the Tel. # at the top...

The bank check is from "Telesis Community Credit Union" and it says
"Main Office:
9301 Winnetka Ave.
Chatsworth, CA 91311
(866) 808-8366"

MODs: I am including as much info. as I can in the hopes someone here can verify that this is a scam AND/OR that someone else might see this (who got the same letter)
and be saved a world of trouble...
(as we all sign up for the same poker sites, etc., and some other 2 + 2ers may have had their mailing addresses compromised...) So, I'm sorry if it's not appropriate to post these Phone #s out in the open...Please black out the last 4 if you feel it's appropriate...thanks,

Re: Legitimate random BIGmoney win, or a SCAM to steal my identity/rob me?
 

Dont take it to the police. They wont do anything but go to the back room and call a bunch of guys over and they will all point at you and laugh.

if you want the police involved, take it to the check cashing place....When the cashier starts trying to stall you...that will be your clue that the police are on the way:)

Re: Legitimate random BIGmoney win, or a SCAM to steal my identity/rob
 

Important Consumer Fraud Alert



Dear Valued Members,

Please be aware that there is an active sweepstakes scam operating under the entity names of Triad Claims Service Limited and Euro International Lotto.

Recipients of the Triad Claims Service Limited scam receive a sweepstakes prize letter notifying them that they are the winner of a $35,000 cash prize. This amount is claimed to be from a total prize purse of $1,400,000. The recipient also receives a fraudulent bank check in the amount of $900. Recipients of the Euro International Lotto receive a similar check for $2,875.52.

Recipients are then informed that due to their U.S. resident status, a subsidized withholding tax has been imposed on their winning and that the prize winner must pay $900, or $2,875.52, prior to the release of their remaining winnings. Contact information is then provided for further instructions on how to claim the prize.

If you have received this notification or a similar notification, please do the following:

1. DO NOT send payment to Triad Claims Service Limited or Euro International Lotto.
2. DO NOT attempt to contact or provide any information to Triad Claims Service Limited or Euro International Lotto.
3. Contact Member Services at (800) 895-8328.

http://www.telesiscu.com/about-fraud-alert.asp


Telesis is a real bank. The check is NOT real.

Re: Legitimate random BIGmoney win, or a SCAM to steal my identity/rob
 

Get a phone card and call with that from the comfort of your
home. After you are done calling I have a bridge in Brooklyn
I could let you have for a very reasonable price [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: ilovebadbeats
 

Hey if you lovebadbeats so much, I say go for it!

Re: Legitimate random BIGmoney win, or a SCAM to steal my identity/rob me?
 

OP, this is a scam.

[ QUOTE ]
To add:

The phone # it tells me to call, "to contact their office:"
(416 820-1648) immediately"


[/ QUOTE ]

That number shows up on this list as being used in previous scams.



[ QUOTE ]

The bank check is from "Telesis Community Credit Union" and it says
"Main Office:
9301 Winnetka Ave.
Chatsworth, CA 91311
(866) 808-8366"


[/ QUOTE ]

That's a real bank, but that is NOT their real number.

Find their real number on this page , give them a call, and let them know someone is forging checks on their bank. Offer to mail them the check, and good karma will be in your corner. At worst, if the check is real, they will cash it and wire you the funds.

Your chances of that check being real, however, are about as good as mine are of banging Cindy Crawford.

The other number you listed that purports to be the bank number is actually listed here as being used by scammers in Ontario and Jamaica that place ads in classifieds and trick folks into wiring them money overseas.

Lastly, you should contact the National Check Fraud Center and let them know about it, and they can give you a detailed background on it, as well as put these guys on the list to track down, and may be able to provide you some information on how these guys got your name and mailing address in the first place.

Re: Legitimate random BIGmoney win, or a SCAM to steal my identity/rob me?
 

Let it go man. you did not win some random drawing. They are trying to scam you. When you contact them they will ask you to cash the check and then send them a certain amount of it back and then they will get free cash while your accounts will be overdrawn or if you take it to a check cashing place they will take you to court for a bad check. The check is real but the accounts have no money.
For your own good shred the crap and don't ever think of it again.

Re: ilovebadbeats
 

I have a question for you. If you held a random drawing for an 'X' amount of money and did not advertise it would you really send the money to someone or just keep it yourself. Who would know??? Also, if they need a tax payment why not take it out of your winnings like ALL legitimite business do.

Re: Legitimate random BIGmoney win, or a SCAM to steal my identity/rob
 

[ QUOTE ]
OP, this is a scam.

Your chances of that check being real, however, are about as good as mine are of banging Cindy Crawford.

[/ QUOTE ]

Cashing that check = -EV
Banging Cindy Crawford = ++++EV [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: Legitimate random BIGmoney win, or a SCAM to steal my identity/rob me?
 

This is an obvious scam, its not even worth your time to try to determine if its real because it definitely isn't. Shred the check and get on with your life.

Re: Legitimate random BIGmoney win, or a SCAM to steal my identity/rob me?
 

[ QUOTE ]
ut I can't be 100% sure that I did NOT win some random drawing, right?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes you can.

Re: Legitimate random BIGmoney win, or a SCAM to steal my identity/rob me?
 

Scam

They'll want you to send money to cover the taxes/fees/strippers that come along with such a windfall.

Re: Legitimate random BIGmoney win, or a SCAM to steal my identity/rob
 

This is very legitimate ok. For a small percentage of your winnings (up-front) ok I would be happy to help you get your riches.

Re: Legitimate random BIGmoney win, or a SCAM to steal my identity/rob
 

[ QUOTE ]
This is very legitimate ok. For a small percentage of your winnings (up-front) ok I would be happy to help you get your riches.

[/ QUOTE ]

Where's Idi?