POWERPOINT FINANCIAL Fake Check for "North Mega Sweepstakes" Winnings Morriston Ontario

*This company also sends out letters under the name "Powerhouse Financial" as well as "PowerPoint Financial".

This "company" sends a Sweepstakes Winning Notification and a check. It is sent in a plain regular envelope with no return address and a Canadian postal stamp.

Letter has header of "POWERPOINT FINANCIAL INC." (or "POWERHOUSE"), International Claim Department, 101 King St, Morriston ONT, N0B 2C3

Letter is titled: "WINNING FINAL NOTIFICATION" and starts:

"Sir/Madam, We are pleased to inform you that you are one of the declared winners of the NORTH MEGA SWEEPSTAKES," and goes on to state, "We have made many unsuccessful attempts to contact you regarding this winning. You are therefore entitled to the sum of $250,000.00 US DOLLARS."

It goes on to describe the enclosed check for $4890.00 "for the payment of applicable Government Taxes on your big winnings" and then... "The tax amount is $2985.00 US DOLLARS... to be paid by either MONEYGRAM or WESTERN UNION." And finally...

"Please do not attempt to use this check until you call. You are advised to contact your claim agent immediately for further clarification as indicated below within 5 business days. BILL HENSLEY, 1-905-598-4014" and signed, "Congratulations, Yours Truly, Laura Morgan (Promotion Manager)"

Of note, the digital signature is illegible, but it clearly is not in any way the name "Laura Morgan".

The check itself looks legitimate, drawn on "Bank of the West, West Covina, CA" with check code Bank/Account: 122242843 / 724039193 and banking code 90-4284 / 1222 I have seen elsewhere on the Web that they sometimes use checks from a bank in Pennsylvania.

Don't be duped! The check is not real, the notification is not real, and if you try to cash the check you'll get a bounce fee (or in trouble for trying to cash a bad check) and they'll get away with it because they stated in the letter "do not attempt to use this check until you call."

Also, no legitimate agency would ever send a large check without a receipt signature, or at the very least they would include a return address! Also, if you won $250K, don't you think the letter would be addressed to you personally and not "Sir/Madam"?

Finally, you should never have to pay anything for "Winnings" and do not ever engage in a financial transaction by wire unless you absolutely know the person on the other end... once you make a wire transaction, that money is gone, and the receiving person is all but untraceable. Don't get ripped off!

Pete
Durham, North Carolina
U.S.A.