Readers Digest Sweep Stakes, Readers Digest Scam asking us to send check for claiming the sweep stakes Seattle Washington

I received a mail from the following.

Readers Digest
Regional Office
1102 16th Avenue, Seattle WAs 98401 USA.

From : the desk of Managing Director of Prize award department without prejudice:
______________________________________________________________

This is to inform you of the release of READERS DIGEST SWEEP STAKE draw held on Feb 14 2009. Among the free participating finalist playing 6000 full tickets in the fifteenth series, from a pool of forty one million dollars ( 41,000,000.00) in cash your ticket number BC200/922/741 dreew the lucky numbers which won the prize in that category.

There fore your number has been approved for a lump sum payout of TWO HUNDRED SIXTY EIGHT THOUSAND AND THIRTY THREE DOLLARS ( 268,333.00) in cash credited to a file reference number Ref#.4228083.

Our credit department has recently notified us that over the past two months, there was no winner form submitted, to avoid misconduct or double claiming by some of the our participants this notice is time sensitive and non compliance could result to disqualification by which unclaimed funds are returned to the unclaimed department.

Since we do not deal directly with the public to begin your claim, this notice has been forwarded to you from one of our licensed and bonded North American Agencies and a copy would be sent to the insurance company. The check enclosed has been arranged by our insurance company to help you cover all charges that may be reuqired before you receive your funds. You are required to contact Mr. Simon Williams or Linda Joseph @ 1-772-621-5516 to activate your claim this is very important.

Congratulations and thank you for your interest in Readers Digest sweepstakes.

Sincerly,

Ben Hainsworth
Prize Disbursement.

Note to readers:-
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The check that you receive would initially go through as the bank takes 7 days to actually give credit. In the meanwhile the check would be returned mentioning to refer to drawer.

We would have been asked to send a check for $ 3250 to the address and it is meant to find out our Bank account number and routing number .Using this they will defraud you of the amount and use it for other purposes as well in identity theft.

Suresh
Boston, Massachusetts
U.S.A.