Gold Star Securities Inc International Claims Department, Shoppers Sweepstakes Winning Final Notification Midland Ontario Canada

I am a newly widowed, unemployed woman who received a real-looking check for the amount of 4995.00 USD written on the Keybank at 1 Canal Plaza, 7th Floor, Portland, ME 04112. The rounting number was 011200608. I Googled this routing number and found it to be valid for KeyBank in Portland, ME , but I could not find a branch office in that zip code. I did get a phone number and called KeyBank. I spoke with a bank representative who was able to go to a fraud blog and found that this was a scam. There are no KeyBanks at the address on the check, and the routing number can be found on the internet from the routing number database. While I was speaking with the KeyBank representative, we noted the difference in the spelling for the bank: fraudulent spelling: Keybank and correct spelling: KeyBank. There was a valid zip code, but no valid address, no fax number or email address. The telephone number: 416-833-6337 rang somebody who said she was with Gold Star Securities Inc, but asked if I could call back in an hour as they were in a company meeting. She stuttered and had a surprised sound to her voice when I called. She did not answer the phone in a business-like fashion. I believe it was a personal phone and the woman who answered it was taken by surprise at my calling. I believe the "company meeting" line was a ruse to be used if someone actually called the number.
The signature on the check was unreadable, and the letter accompanying the check said I would reach "Kelly Anderson" at the phone number and a "Mary Brown" was the promotion manager of the sweepstakes. Here's the kicker, my dead husband was to receive $250,000 to be Fedexed to my home, and the 4995.00 was to be deposited for use for tax purposes. I was to send the Gold Star Securities Inc $2995.00 for the IRS. Canada doesn't care about our tax status and the dealings with the IRS. The scam is to get "winners" to deposit the bogus check for $4995.00 and send the company $2995!

While my situation could be greatly benefited by this money, I was preyed upon because of my assumed fiscal vulnerability. Thank God he gave me the good sense to investigate this matter before acting on the premise that the check was valid. This should be enough information to point the finger at this devious rip-off scam.

Cordie E. xxxxxxxx
Harrison, Tennessee
U.S.A.