Carlson Marketing Inc Scam, don't fall for it!!! Ajax, Ontario

I received a letter in the mail with no return address.  It had Canadian postage.  I opened the letter and found a cashier's check in the amount of $985.88 payable to me.  There was a letter enclosed.  It read as follows:

Carlson Marketing

890 Carlson Ave

Ajaz, ON, M8J 5S6

Phone: 1 (905)-781-1519

Fax: 1 (206)-600-4617

CLAIM#:  XXXXXXXXXX - (This had numbers, but I chose not to include them)

AWARD CLAIM NOTIFICATION

FINAL NOTICE

We have made unsuccessful attempts to contact you regarding your Consumer Rewards Program winning. You name attached to ticket number xxxxxxx drew the lucky winning ticket.

In accordance with the Consumer Rewards Program Commission policy, your prize award money has been forwarded to our clearing / disbursement institution to release your funds to you.

Your lump sum payout is US $8,000.00(EIGHT THOUSAND DOLLARS) CONGRATULATIONS!

Kindly contact Claims Agent Debbie Siemens at 1-905-781-1519 as soon as you receive this notice for further instructions on how to claim your grand winning.

We have enclosed a check for the sum of US$985.88 Per your state regulations, you will be required to pay a tax and processing fee before your lump sum winning can be sent to you.  Payment will be made directly to your tax agent.  You will also need to fax you tax payment receipt to the fax number above.

Yours Sincerely,

(fake signature)

Lloyd Formerly

PROMOTION MANAGER

(Walmart, Visa, Mastercard, Target, Home Depot, 7-11, Sears, American Express, Discover, Gap, Pizza Hut & TJ Maxx logos along the bottom.

I immediately called in excitement the number to Debbie Siemens.  She told me to deposit the check immediately and wait 24 hours for it to clear.  She then told me to call her in the morning since it should be cleared by then.  She told me to not show the letter to anyone because they could claim my prize.  I then took a step back.  I worked in a bank for 5 years and have seen these type of scams in different forms.  I decided to research a little bit.  The Cashier's Check was drawn off First Community Bank, P.O. Box 527, Meridian, Texas  76665.  I looked up this bank and called them.  The representative told me that I must have received a check for about $985. and was promised $8,000.00.  I did not even give her this information.  She told me to immediatley tear up this check, it is fraud.  Then I decided to look up the route number.  It was invalid.  I did a qwest dex online phone number search and the fax number is an unpublished or unavailable land line in Seattle, WA.  I looked up the phone number listed on the letter and it is an unpublished or unavailable cell phone out of Brampton, On, ON.

I was so happy to think that god was looking out for me since I had a letter in the mail from a bank that is going to repo my truck soon and a forclosure notice I received last week.  I thought it was a blessing and would not have to stuggle to find shelter for my family which includes two small children.  In these hard economic times, people like this should be brought to justice.  I am glad I caught this before I would be liable for any outcomes.  I know people have lost large amounts of money by hoping these types of scams were true.  I wish there was a way to find these people and make them pay me the money they promised (or more) just for trying to make my life harder than it already is, and I did not think it could be possible at this point in time.