Fidelity Finance Company, H. I. Grundy, David Frances, Stacey Godwin Attempt to defraud friend with phony sweepstakes letter and tempting check Ottawa Ontario

My friend received a tempting $5,985.00 check in a letter, signed by H. I. Grundy, from Fidelity Finance Company, 7411 Gordon Rd., Ottawa, Ontario, M6T 4H3, Canada. The fraudulent letter claimed she had won $125,000.00 in US dollars in a "second category Sweepstake Draw" from the Government Lottery Office on January 15, 2009.

All she had to do to claim her winnings was to wire transfer $4,985.00 to the Canadian Tax Office's Tax Agent Stacey Godwin at 1109 Bond Ave., Ottawa, Ontario, M4F5TB, Canada. She was also advised to call her "claim agent" David Frances at 1-778-317-6395. Amazingly, "Mr. Frances" answered and told her to deposit the check and wait until it cleared to wire the taxes.

My friend wanted to do this and was heartbroken when she learned that this was a scam. If the $5,985.00 check (written on a Wells Fargo Bank Minnesota, NA check for the Stempp Company at 6100 Baker Road, Minnetonika, MN 55345-5909) was actually honored, the money would be fraudulently withdrawn from that account, which belonged to another unsuspecting victim. This would have made my friend part of the scam process.

Has anyone gotten a non-fraudulent "winning letter?"

Ello
Columbia, South Carolina
U.S.A.