Barnes Marketing You won a lump sum payout of $8,000.00. We have enclsoed a check for the sum of $986.88. Pickering, Ontario

I received a letter in the mail dated October 29, 2009 with a check enclosed in the amount of $986.88 stating that I won $8,000.00  I contacted the person listed in the letter, Barbra Thompson at 905-783-7358. She told me that this was affiliated with stores such as Walmart, Home Depot, Targer, Sears, Gap, TJ Max, Pizza Hut as well as Visa, MC, AE and Discover.  She said when you shop at the stores, they ask your zip codes and drawing are made based on the information given to these stores.  She swore the check was legit.  Still being a skeptic, I plan on contacting the attorney general's office.   Before donig that I found this website and two other letters were sent with exactly the same information and payout.  The watermark does not show up on the check when you hold it to the light.  She swears that any bank will accept the check, probably hold it for a few days to verify the funds and then when the funds clear, you are to call back and they will have the inforamtion regarding the tax agent and you can pay your taxes of $860.00 out of the check that was sent in the amount of $968.88.  About 100% sure this is a scam.  There is not a website for Barnes Marketing and if you do a reverse look up on the address, you will find the number is a cell phone.  Beware of this and make sure it is absolutely legit before negotiating the check.  Otherwise, scams such as this will get your bank account information.