Coast Capital Financial Services Fraudulent Check Los Angeles, California

I received a typed unsigned letter from Paul Morgan, Promotion Manager with Coast Capital Financial Services with an address at 1350 Lonsdale Street, Los Angeles, CA 90015.  The envelope did not have any return address but the stamps indicated it was mailed from Ireland.

The letter indicated that I was a 2nd prize winner in the 2nd category of the USA Mega draw, and assigned me the numbers 51-20-26-37-40, and that I won $255,000.00.  Enclosed with the letter was a check from The Wasserstrom Company, 477 S. Front St., Columbus, OH 43215 in the amount of $4,685.00 to "help pay for the processing fee" of $3,950.00 drawn on the Huntington National Bank, Columbus, OH 43219.

According to the letter, I was not to act until I contacted my assigned claim agent named Allen Johnson at 1-604-367-6567 Monday-Friday 10 a.m-5 p.m. and Saturdays 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. to start the claim processing and activation of the check.  I needed to sign the bottom part of the letter and provide my name, address and give to the representative AFTER I received the rest of the $255,000.00 check.

This is a scam.  With an envelope having stamps from Ireland, an unsigned letter from some company in Los Angeles, CA, a 604 area code indicating the contact number was Canadian, and a check drawn on a company in Columbus, OH, this raised red flags for me. 

I contacted The Wasserstrom Company, a restaurant supplier, and the representative informed me that this is a massive scam, and they are working with appropriate authorities to find the culprits and eliminate this scam that's involved their company.

Please do not attempt to cash this check.  Let me reiterate:  this is a scam.  By participating, you will hurt yourself financially.