Union Financial Trust Fraudulent Prize Award and Fraudulent Initial Payment Check Edmonton Alberta

Received notice claiming to be from Union Financial Trust on 11/01/07. It said that I had won a total sum of $73,500 US in a random International draw on 9/24/07. I had never entered such a lottery and was immediately suspicious. They also included a very realistic looking check made out to me for $2,650 supposedly from Johnson Woolen Mills in Vermont and dated 10/12/07. The letter was mailed on 10/31/07 per the Canadian postmark but I couldn't tell from where in Canada it was mailed.

Anyway, they didn't say why I should get a check in that amount nor why it was drawn on the Johnson Woolen Mills account when they are supposedly a Canadian financial institution. They enclosed a phone number to call - to file for my claim and receive further instructions. That number is 1-604-723-2364. I did not call.

Note, to hurry a response they require a claim to be made no later than 11/07/07.

All of this is tip-off to a fraud.

The check is VERY realistic! The company address and owner's signature check out. The check also has realistic looking watermarks in the image of a "No check fraud" symbol.

I saw earlier report from 1'2/06 of a similar mailing on this list.

Tom
Silver Spring, Maryland
U.S.A.