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#1
06-23-2006, 10:17 AM
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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? 
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#2
06-23-2006, 10:21 AM
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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.
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#3
06-23-2006, 10:24 AM
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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
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#4
06-23-2006, 10:33 AM
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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.
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#5
06-23-2006, 10:40 AM
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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?)
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#6
06-23-2006, 10:46 AM
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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...
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#7
06-23-2006, 10:54 AM
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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.
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#8
06-23-2006, 10:55 AM
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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.
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#9
06-23-2006, 10:56 AM
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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.
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#10
06-23-2006, 10:59 AM
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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,
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