CLARION FINANCIAL ripoff sends check $2,456.81 got admin/taxes fee sent to individual in Montreal Quebec after recv'g money gram check bounced!! CONCORD New Hampshire

Received a letter dated May 31, 2007 from Clarion Financial (Insurance..Advertising), The Concord Center, 10 Ferry Street #26, Concord, NH 03301 with a check drawn on Clarion Corp of America, 6200 Gateway Drive, Cypress, CA 90630. Check no. 323684; bank i.d. 73.23/421

Tel: 1-289-888-1529; A Division of Clarion Corporation of America, 6200 Gateway Dr, Cypress, CA 90630.

Letter reads as follows:

We are pleased to inform you through this letter that our network shows you as the lucky winner of unclaimed prize money in the amount of Forty seven Thousand dollars ($47,000.00) in United State funds. The system indicates

that, your name was randomly selected through a computerized ballot system as a winner for the 2007 sweepstakes draws. Congratulations!

All participants were selected through a computerized ballot system drawn from Readers Digest, Publisher's Clearing House, Online Sweepstakes, Internet Games etc.

Enclosed is a Check of ($2,456.81). which covers both the administrative payment and clearance fees of your winnings. For authorizing and processing of your price, please contact your agent Teresa Anderson at TEL: 1-289-888-1529. Your winnings must be claimed no later than June 18, 2007.

Your name is attached to claim number US/CA-04/09-019WD. We advice you keep your claim number confidentially secured until you claim is processed and funds remitted as this is part of our security protocol.

Please remember to quote your number in all correspondence with us in order to avoid unnecessary delays. Congratulations again from our staff and sponsors.

Jeffrey Board
Prize Co-Ordinator

Clarion Financial
The Concord Center
10 Ferry Street #26
Concord NH 03301

A Division of Clarion Corporation of America
6200 Gateway Drive
Cypress CA 90630

Bar Coding on bottom of letter: 00091348173 051070365004566558 408200

Called Agent Teresa Anderson (1-289-888-1529) with ref #NPF 894321W058. She instructed me to deposit check, wait 2-3 days for clearance, send money gram in the amount of $2,296.00 to tax clearance officer:

Cynthia Martinez
6743 Peel Street Suite 202
Montreal, Quebec H4R-2B8

Money gram was sent on Sat, Jun 16, I called Teresa Anderson at Clarion Financial to report transmittal with receipt number. Teresa said someone from prize patrol will be contacting me within 72 hours once Cynthia Martinez receives her e-mail and funds.

On Thurs, Jun 21, I received a phone call from a Marilyn Smith asking if I wanted the media involved. It wouldnt be like Publisher's Clearance House but similar. The earliest payment could be delivered is Jul 6. I informed her that I would be out of town for my daughter's wedding, so she said she would be in touch with me and said that delivery would be made on the 13th. I asked for a phone number and she didn't give me one. She did say, that she would try to make arrangements to have winnings delivered earlier and she would be in touch with me.

Today, Fri, Jun 22, I called my bank to check balance and found I was (-). Checking with the bank, the check from Clarion Financial was returned.

Will contact Clarion Financial tomorrow, Sat, Jun 23, to find out what's going on! I'm suspicious that it's a SCAM!

Lehua
Pearl city, Hawaii
U.S.A.