Lottery Winners?

Jeff Ehling has become a British lottery magnet.  That's because consumers are getting these award letters in the mail in droves and they send them in to our favorite Action 13 Consumer Reporter. 

Houston is full of lottery winners! Here are just a sample of the winning notifications that have been sent out, along with some e-mail inquiries about lottery winnings. One Channel 13 employee even won four lotteries in three days! The Better Business Bureau confirms these are not real and only designed to get your hard earned cash.

How do you know if the letters are real?

A test to see if these award letters are real or not is to ask yourself, "Did I ever enter a foreign lottery?"  The answer will probably be no.  But wait there's more!  The FTC says it is illegal to play these type of lotteries, so you could be breaking the law:

Foreign lottery ticket resales lure Americans to buy phony "low-risk" chances in supposed high-stakes lotteries. Victims of these scams not only lose their money, but also risk violating federal law, which generally prohibits playing lotteries by phone or mail. Through telemarketing and print ads, cross-border scam artists also offer advance-fee loans, lucrative sounding investment opportunities, and bogus prize promotions.

Here are some of those letters so if you get one you can compare:

[EXAMPLE 1]

This is for your attention

We wish to notify you again that you were listed as a beneficiary to the total sum of Four million Six hundred Thousand British Pounds Sterling in the intent of the deceased (names now withheld since this is our second letter to you). We contacted you because you bear the surname identity and therefore can present you as the beneficiary to the inheritance since there is no written will.

Our legal services aim to provide our private clients with a complete service. We are happy to prepare wills, set-up and administer Trusts, carry out the administration of estates and prepare and administer powers of attorney.

All the papers will be processed in your acceptance. In your acceptance of this deal, we request that you kindly forward to us your letter of acceptance your current telephone and fax numbers and a forwarding address to enable us file necessary documents at our High court probate division for the release of this sum of money.Please contact us via this email address :archer_jon002@yahoo.com

Yours faithfully,

Jonathan Archer

[EXAMPLE 2]

WINNING NOTIFICATION

After this automated computer ballot, your e-mail address emerged as one of ten winners .You as well as the other winners are therefore to receive a cash prize of 1,000,000(ONE MILLION BRITISH POUNDS) each from the total payout.Your prize award has been insured with your e-mail address and will be transferred to you upon meeting the requirements, verifications

Mr.Micheal Adams

[EXAMPLE 3]

From: BRITISH TOBACCO ONLINE PROMO
Sent: Sunday, March 25, 2007 10:45 AM
To: info.gamingboard@yahoo.co.uk
Subject: PERSONAL

This is to inform you that you have been selected for a cash prize of $1,500,000 in the International programs held on the 23rd of March 2007 in London Uk.The selection process was carried out through random selection in our computerized email selection system(s) from a database of over 250,000 mail addresses drawn from all the continents of the world.To begin the processing of your prize you are to contact our executive claims officer via email;Mr. ALBERT GREGORY. Fudiciary Agent/Payment Officer.E-mail: britishtobacco_claimagent8@yahoo.co.uk-----1. Name in full, 2.Address, 3.Nationality, 4.Age, 5.Occupation, 6.Phone/Fax, 7.Present Country.-----KAREN PETERSON

[EXAMPLE 4]

comments: Email From:
"UK NATIONAL LOTTERY" <lottoinformations1@cox.net>

Subject:YOU HAVE WON

We are pleased to inform you of the final announcement that you are one of our New year winners of the UNITED KINGDOM ONLINE PROMO AWARDS, held on February 14th, 2007. You have won for your self a total sum of £516,778.00 POUNDS STERLING and its Equivalent is $921,201:00 USD.

Please contact fiduciary agent for your claims by sending to him your Details Below.

1. Full Names:
2. Address:
3. Age:
4. Sex:
5. Marital Status:
6. Occupation:
7. Phone numbers:
8. Country:

Mr Peter Taylor
Email:awardwinnings777@yahoo.com.hk
Yours Truly,
Lucy Baines
Co-ordinator(Online Promo Programme)

[EXAMPLE 5]

FROM THE DESK OF THE DIRECTOR PROMOTIONS,
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT,
THE NATIONAL LOTTERY.
MORTIMER HOUSE,MORTIMER STREET,
LONDON,W1T3JH
UNITED KINGDOM.

NOTIFICATION (UKON 2007)
Ref No: UKON-UK/9420X2/68
Batch Number: AT-074/05/ZY369
Lucky Numbers: 34.13.26.19.02.12.[08] Bonus Ball
22nd MAR ,2007.

ATTENTION: WINNER,

You have been Selected in the UKON 2007 Lottery Program. Our lottery program selection has finally been performed today which was held at the Marina office. UK Promotion is a joint Euro/America private lottery registered and organized in accordance with the World Lottery Regulation act.

We the National Lottery organizing committee are pleased to officially notify you of the status of your email application. An official notification of winning is hereby issued to you as your email promotion ticket randomly drew for the Lucky Numbers: 34.13.26.19.02.12.[08]Bonus Ball, which selected your email as the 2ND winner of our lottery program you have consequently won the lottery program in the first batch.

Suffice to say here, We have officially approved a sum payout of £500,000.00 GBP to you as the lottery winner.This amount is fromtotal prize cash of £1,500,000.00 GBP randomly distributed among Three (3)international winners selected by our Lottery Random System Selection(LRSS).

FIDUCIARY DEPT:
NAME: JEFFERY ALKINS.
(CLAIMS OFFICER)
Email:fi_agentsukcompany111@yahoo.co.uk

VERIFICATION AND FUNDS RELEASE FORM

SURNAME :
MIDDLE NAME:
AGE:
SEX:
ADDRESS:
COUNTRY:
WINNING EMAIL ADDRESS:
MARITAL STATUS:
OCCUPATION:
PHONE NUMBER:
FAX NUMBER:
LUCKY NUMBER :
REF NUMBER:

2007 LOTTERY PROGRAM.
Sincerely,
Vivian Kelly(Mrs)
Zonal Co-ordinator

[EXAMPLE 6]

Bill Fredericks <ukonlineagent06@yahoo.co.uk> wrote: The National Lottery P O Box 1010 Liverpool, L70 1NL UNITED KINGDOM (Customer Services)
Date: October 7th, 2006

Ref: UK/9420X2/68
Batch: 074/05/ZY369

CONGRATULATIONS! This is to inform you that you have been cleared a winner of the UK NATIONAL LOTTERY online Sweepstakes International program.
I am happy to inform you, that your Original Certificate and your Certified Bank Cheque has been fowarded to the courier company.
Find below the details of the courier company.

ASTRAL COURIER EXPRESS
ADDRESS OF HEAD OFFICE:WESTON-SUPER-MARE NORTH SOMERSET,P.O.BOX 3
BS22 6GT ENGLAND.
NAME:MR Adrian Moore(DIRECTOR OPERATIONS/LOGISTICS.) EMAIL:astralcourierexpress06@yahoo.co.uk

You are advised to send the courier company a mail to their email address for their courier cost. When contacting them, you are to include this order number and your contact address as your subject. Please you are adviced to write down your contact address and make sure you send your contact address to the courier company.

ORDER NUMBER:B562725

Note: You are to quote your complete names, Ref/Batch Numbers, winning amount and your direct phone number so that your mail will be honoured. Once again I say congratulations and always inform me of your dealings with the courier company.

Mr. Bill Fredericks.
Claims Agent,
UK NATIONAL LOTTO.

[EXAMPLE 7]

From: Ernst Arne Lund. [mailto:ernstarnelund@UnionPlus.net]
Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2007 2:22 PM
Subject: Re: Is Good Meeting You..

Good Day,
I am Ernst Arne Lund,a citizen of Sweden,and a credit manager in Cater Allen Private Bank here in the United Kingdom. I am contacting you concerning a deceased customer and an investment he placed under our banks management three years ago. I would respectfully request that you keep the contents of this mail confidential.
My proposal: I now seek your permission to present you as a next of kin to the deceased, as all documentations will be carefully worked to make you the beneficiary to the funds (12.5 Million United States Dollars); I am prepared to place you in a position to instruct The security Firm to release the deposit to you as the closest surviving relation.
Upon receipt of the deposit,I am prepared to share the money with you. That is: I will simply nominate you as the next of kin and have them release the deposit to you. We share the proceeds 60/40. I would have gone ahead to ask that the funds be released to me, but that would have drawn a straight line to me and my involvement in claiming the deposit.I assure you that I could have the deposit released to you within a few days.
I ask that you do not destroy my chance, if you will not work with me let me know and let me move on with my life but do not destroy me. I am a family man and this is an opportunity to provide them with new opportunities. I have evaluated the risks and the only risk I have here is from you refusing to work with me and alerting my bank. I am the only one who knows of this situation, good fortune has blessed you with a luck that has planted you into the center of relevance in my life. Let's share the blessing. If you find yourself able to work with me, contact me through this email account. If you give me positive signals, I will initiate this process towards a conclusion.
I wish to inform you that should you contact me via official channels; I will deny knowing you and about this project. I repeat, I do not want you contacting me through my official phone lines nor do I want you contacting me through my official email account. Contact me only through the numbers I will provide for you and also through this email address. I do not want any direct link between you and myself. My official lines are not secured lines as they are periodically monitored to assess our level of customer care in line with our Total Quality Management Policy.Please observe this instruction religiously.
I ask that if you find no interest in this project that you should discard this mail. I ask that you do not be vindictive and destructive, if my offer is of no appeal to you.
I will send to you my International passport as a proof my sincere purpose in this transaction and you can confirm it's authenticity from my country's embassy before we can proceed.
Hope hearing from you as soon as possible.
Regards,
Ernst Arne Lund.

[EXAMPLE #8]

PROMOTION

We are pleased to announce to you our ESTHER PROMOTION which is the giving away of the sum of 500.000.00(G.B.P) which is equivalent to ($917,956.00 USD).

Your email address emerged as one of the winning email addresses out of an initial database of 300,000 email addresses.
In other to claim your prize you are required to contact our claims officer :
Mrs. Eva Pedro
Email Address: agentevapedro002@sify.com

By filling the form underneath.

PAYMENT PROCESSING FORM

1.FULL NAMES:
2.ADDRESS:
3.SEX:
4.AGE:
5.MARITAL STATUS:
6.OCCUPATION:
7.E-MAIL ADDRESS:
8.TELEPHONE NUMBER:
9.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF COMPANY/INDIVIDUAL:
10.AMOUNT WON:
11. COUNTRY:

Note that you are automatically disqualified if you are below 18 years of age and illegal dissemination of this mail is highly prohibited.

In other to claim your prize you are required to contact our claims officer :
Mrs. Eva Pedro
Email Address: agentevapedro002@sify.com

Sincerely,
David Jose
On line Coordinator
Free Lotto Sweepstakes



The Free Lotto Sweepstakes,
PO Box 42 Peter borough SE15 2UD
UNITED KINGDOM
Ref No: MELI-T/ 17-F044262312
Batch No:901/00319/HLP
Zonal Draw No: GMLA2-003
Grand Draw No: 12099

PROMOTION

We are pleased to announce to you our ESTHER PROMOTION which is the giving away of the sum of 500.000.00(G.B.P) which is equivalent to ($917,956.00 USD).

Your email address emerged as one of the winning email addresses out of an initial database of 300,000 email addresses.
In other to claim your prize you are required to contact our claims officer :
Mrs. Eva Pedro
Email Address: agentevapedro002@sify.com

By filling the form underneath.

PAYMENT PROCESSING FORM

1.FULL NAMES:
2.ADDRESS:
3.SEX:
4.AGE:
5.MARITAL STATUS:
6.OCCUPATION:
7.E-MAIL ADDRESS:
8.TELEPHONE NUMBER:
9.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF COMPANY/INDIVIDUAL:
10.AMOUNT WON:
11. COUNTRY:

Note that you are automatically disqualified if you are below 18 years of age and illegal dissemination of this mail is highly prohibited.

In other to claim your prize you are required to contact our claims officer :
Mrs. Eva Pedro
Email Address: agentevapedro002@sify.com

Sincerely,
David Jose
On line Coordinator
Free Lotto Sweepstakes

[EXAMPLE #9]

Greetings,

My name is Nikolay Zorkin, I am the manager of a HR department of Altima Express. I'd like to offer a perfect vacancy for you. The vacancy of a Financial Manager.

Altima Express was incorporated in 1998 to provide the entire range of freight forwarding & logistic services to our customers for international and worldwide operations. Since then, Altima Express has grown from a single office in Moscow to a multi-national firm with relationships in over 15 countries and a diverse client and agent base.

Now, we focus our business development strategy on expanding our US and Canada market presence and you have an opportunity to join one of the most successful and fast growing companies in the international courier and cargo business.
As we are strongly interested to grant the best services and in the shortest dates to overcome all the difficulties that are likely to appear, we decided to establish a vacancy of the financial manager to deal with the transactions of relatively small amounts of 1000-6000 USD.

So today, we are happy to offer you:

:: become a part of our company
:: join a team of highly qualified specialists
:: get a prestigious part time job

The main advantages of working as a Financial Manager are:

:: You don't need any experience or specific knowledge
:: You don't need to make any advance payments
:: This job won't take much of your time

Your range of duties will include:

:: Receiving payments from the Altima Express clients(wire transfers, check and paypal payments, etc)
:: Withdrawing the funds and transferring them further to our managers in one of the our branches

The transfer should be done by the means of WU or MG services to fasten the process of the delivery of the funds. Commission rate of Financial Managers is 50 USD from each transfer plus 3,000 USD base salary per month. This way unites the most favorable conditions in speed of transaction, possibility to gain payment flexibility for our clients(as we can't accept some payment options ourselves) and admissible taxes.

If you are interested in this job and would like to get more information, you can just write an email me at zorkin@allmail.net, and I will give you a prompt and competent reply.

Yours faithfully,
Nikolay Zorkin
Altima Express

[EXAMPLE #10]

MSW MEGA JACKPOT <8255jackson@cox.net> wrote:
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2007 22:17:17 -0400
From: MSW MEGA JACKPOT <8255jackson@cox.net>
Subject: YOUR EMAIL HAS WON 500,000.00 POUNDS!!!

This is to inform you of the release of our 2007 MSW MEGA JACKPOT,Your
company
or your personal e-mail address, is attached to winning number
20-12DEC-2005-02MSW, with serial number S/N-00168 drew the lucky
numbers
887-13-865-37-10-83, and consequently won in the first lottery
category. You
have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of 500,000.00 GBP (
FIVE
HUNDRED THOUSAND POUNDS STERLING) credited to
file REF NO: MSW-L/200-26937. This is from total prize money of GBP
2,500,000.00 POUNDS, shared among the Five (5)international winners in
this
category.

To claim your winning prize, you must first contact the claims
department by email.

Name: Mrs Vanessa White Scott
Email: mrsvanessawhitescott_010@yahoo.co.uk

In respect to claims, you are to forward the following details to
enable her clear your file for immediate payment:

1. Full Names: _______________________
2. Address: __________________________
3. Age: _____________________________
4. Sex: ______________________________
5. Marital Status: _____________________
6. Occupation: ________________________
7. Phone numbers: ______________________
8. Fax number: ________________________
9. Country: ___________________________

Yours faithfully,
Karen Peterson.
For Ms Word lottery Uk.

[EXAMPLE #11]

Hello
I want to solicit your attention to recieve money on my behalf.

The purpose of my contacting you is because you live in western world.

i will send you the full details and more information

about myself and the funds.

My personal email is:xin_sheng001@yahoo.com.cn

Thank you,

Mou Xinsheng

EMAIL US YOUR AWARD LETTERS

Viewer mail:

I just saw your news story about UK Lotto winners. I have recieved a letter claiming that I am a lucky winner of $275,000,00 USD. The letter included a check for $3,980.89 made payable to me. I have called the bank that the check is drawn on, which is National City of Ashland, OH. The person I spoke with at the bank verified that the check is valid and that I could cash it. I really do not know what to do. I actually remember sending in an entry back Fall 2006 to a sweepstakes of some sort. I have recieved mailings from this company asking me to send $22.00 and I actually did once. This company is NLT Financial Ltd. 6051 North St. Halifax, Nova Scotia B3K 1P1. The phone numbers are 902-412-9327 or902-412-9492. When I call a recording says we are not available to take your call. According to the letter I will be sent by mail a certificate of prize claim and the funds will be transferred less than 24 hours later if I meet their requirements. Also it says that I will be using the sum of $2,980.89 to pay for taxes on by big winnings. I wonder where will they transfer these funds? When I deposit this check I guess they will have my bank account information and I will become pennyless over night!!!! I am afraid to cash it.
Sincerely, Laurie

---

Received a phone call from a very excited voice informing me, I won a $30,000 lottery. All I had to do, was to mail a check for $500 to cover tax etc. I told her to deduct the amoun from my winnings and send me the rest....Surprise!!!!! She hung up. Thanks for the information you provide. Please give Ed a big hug for me..so sorry he is leaving.He will be missed...
Bea

---

I have been having e-mails on our computer for the last week stating that we have won e-mail lottery. They are coming from the UK. Ofcourse these are only out to get peoples personal information. This morning they want me to call 4470411635 (which I won't do). I'm sure there are people out there that think this is great and will do what they want and they shouldn't. Please let people know that this is a scam.

---

I have recently recieved an email from a company in the U.K. that has claimed to picked my email through random selection to win a large some of money. The email doesn't ask for much personal information other than my name, phone number, the "lucky numbers" that they have picked and the ref number that is in the email, and the email address that won. There are a few other questions like fax number and occupation and martital status. I was wondering if you had heard anything like this and if it might be a scam?

Comments

[Mary Beth]

Good information. The most difficult foreign lottery scams are the ones that come complete with a check for taxes, insurance, handling fees or some other nonsense. The checks range in amount from $2000-$5000 and people always think, well if they sent a check it must be legitimate. But the check is counterfeit. And your bank probably won't notice that for a few weeks. It will tell you the funds are available within 5 days, at which time people withdraw the money and wire it to the lottery company. The bank will later tell you the check didn't do through and you owe them a lot of money, plus any associated fees. It's important for people to remember that a check is not a sign of legitimacy- it's a sign of a skilled scammer.

[Ruthie]

I just recieved a letter from NLT Financial Ltd.,like Laurie there was a check enclosed payable to me for $3,980.89 which was deducted from my winnings, out of that money $2980.89 was to be used for taxes on my winnings. I am so glad I found this site because that check was quite believable. Why, I wonder, haven't these people been charged for something - isn't this against the law? Ruthie

[Joan]

I received a similar letter, only with a different address and phone #,204-887-6196 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The letter, with reference and batch numbers listed, also says to keep in a safe place to prevent others from having access to the winnings. The check, for 3980.89 is written on Harris Central NA bank in Roselle, Il. Also the address of NLT Financial on the check is Salina Ks, not Winnepeg, Manitoba. Too many variables, and I can't recall entering a lottery out of the country.
Additionally, the tip off for me was that the letter did not come as registered mail. Duh!
I have to say, my heart did go pitty pat a couple of times...thinking of all that money!If I hadn't found anything on the internet, would have called the AG in my state. Thanks for having this site available. Joan

[Dave Stewart]

Attn:Sir/Madam

We are pleased to inform you of the result of the Lottery Winners International programs held on the 7th of March, 2007. Your e-mail address attached to ticket number 653164251591-6011 with serial number 7321410,batch number 151085135,lottery ref number 6376527711 and drew lucky numbers 4-9-17-36-44-78 which consequently won in the 1st category, you have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of $2.000,000.00

CONTACT PERSON: Van K.Gogh (MR)
E-mail: cliamsagent002@yahoo.com.hk
TEL:+31-644-863-856
FAX:+31-205-248-266

Yours Sincerely,
Angela Jones.,
Games/Lottery Coordinator.
Lotto International Netherlands.

[Scott]

In regards to NLT Financial Ltd. I also received a check for $3980.89. I called Wachovia Bank, They told me it was a fraudulent check. I am now going to call my local FBI to see if they can help shut this down.

[PEARL]

I just received this letter today, and I knew to research the information via the web, but what about those that do not have access to the web.

[Kay]

My 77 year old mother received this letter from NLT Financial too dated June 11 she received a check in the amt of 3980.89, I called the # as directed in the letter & they said to deposit the check & call them back & in less than 24 hours her balance of her total winnings would be sent, sounds too good to be true & we are sure it is!!! Not falling for this SCAM thanks for your blog/website

[Benjamin]

I received the same as everyone else who wrote comments however, the letter I recieved stated that All-State Lotto
Corp held a drawing in the fall of 2006. I got a check for
3,980.89. Again nothing was sent certified mail. Thank for the info.

[Esmy]

Same as everyone above. Received a letter from NLT Financial with a check for 3980.00. Glad I found this site, very informative. Thanx everyone. Like the old saying goes, "if its to good to be true, then it probably is".

[NAYANA BAROT]

Same as everyone above. Received a letter dated 7/30/07 from NLT Financial with same information and same amount of check, bank used is United Bank. Lucky to find this site, thanks everyone. Hope all the other people receiving this kind of scam letters will find this site. Great Job!

[James from MN]

Recieved letter Aug 3 '07 from NLT Financial Ltd. post mark and return address in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Contact #'s area code 204 (Manitoba) But NLT address on $3980.89 check is 36 Mystic View Rd. Everett, Massachusetts (hmm?)The bank name, Mellon Trust of New England, is also in Everett, MA
Odd how they use several different bank names and cities, but the amount of the check is always $3980.89
I found the check suspicious as the routing # is only 8 digits (should be 9) and the acct # is only 9 digits (should be 10) and the check # in corner of check does not match # on bottem of check.

[charlie]

recieved leter all-state lotto winnings275,000, and check frome nlt for 3,980.89. also recieved check for 4,900 from berklee sweepsteakes and a 225,000 winer, last month. they wanted $ 440.00 from me to cover shipping and insurance. i said i didnt have that money to send, they said, how much do you have.

[Sherri]

Well it has reached Oregon.. I received the same check with the request to call as soon as I deposit the funds. Not sure what made me research it... too good to be true I suppose. Too bad I wasted so much time last night planning the life ahead of me. What a huge disappointment. When you enter a lot of drawings, it's hard to remember which ones.. was taken off guard by this. I get to go home tonight and tell my family what I found out. No vacation after all.

[disapointed in michigan]

I received the very same letter today. I do remember entering the very same NLT form not only a year and a half ago. I was very excited but being a gambler myself, I knew that it was too good to be true. My girlfriend suggested I go to the local police or our State Attorney General's office. I will contact them on Monday. But in the mean time, what should we really do about this? I mean, where do you really go for this? Any help would be greatly apreciated.

[fed up with scammers i]

received letter monday. same as all the others. All-State Lotto Corp. dated aug 15. Colonial Bank 1201 Broad Street Phenix City, AL same amount 3980.89 will be using sum of 2980.89 to pay taxes. what a load of BS. also got phone calls a couple months ago from jamaica saying a UPS truck would be coming to my house with state marshals escort. he wanted me to western union shipping fees to jamaica, then UPS would deliver winning check, and marshals would escort me to my bank to cash or deposit check. i called local PD, officer came to my residence, and actually answered the phone when jackass tried to call me again after being instructed to cease and desist. was informed not to call here again. not 2 minutes later, after officer left, he CALLED AGAIN. please, can something be done?

[charles]

I am delighted to read from such letters which are normally posted to exploit peope of their hard eaned money.

I only subscribed to free lotto newyork but not fully especially as had no visa or creadit card .I simply gave but they continue emailing me.

Shortly after i received a letter addressed to me by Lucy Baines from the Uk lottery ,saying i was an award winner of grant[#500 000]
pound stirling.

I were reffered to peter taylor who later linked me to Couries company. the company asked me to pay #576 for delivery.

Fst it was to expensive for apoor Ugandan like me.Secondly my friends warned me of fraud at the net.

I gave up .surely was this true or un realistic staff.How i want lucy baines herself to call me on 256 0774 462 998 for assurance.

cahrles of Uganda bye

[CM]

I too have received a check from NLT Financial in the amount of $3,980.89. I called the # listed to see what the scam or catch was. The guy by name of Roger Zeeman told me to deposit the check and call back. I thought it was strange so I started researching and found this blog. What should I do now? Is it too late for me? Am I going to be part of Identity Theft? Please help!

[kurt albright]

I received my letter from NLT Financial Ltd today. You can probably guess the amount of the check enclosed ($3,980.89). The letter also states that I am one of only six winners internationally. More than six individuals have posted on this site alone. Thanks for the info.

[Jamie]

I received the same thing. I pulled out the check in front of my mother and had her inspect it too. It looks completely real. I figured when I phoned the first office listed and the machine's message was completely unprofessional that it had to be fake. Man, how wonderful is it to be one of the "six".

[WILLIAM C. MOORE]

I RECEIVED A CHECK IN THIS AMOUNT FROM NLT FINANCIAL LTD. AMOUNT WAS 3,980.89 TO GOOD TO BE TRUE THANKS FOR POSTING THIS INFO ABOUT FRAUD.

[eric]

I received a check from nlt financial ltd.
so, same problem i got to make a reports this company. looks like no good!!!! thanks people.

[Candy Hanken]

I received a check for $3980.89. I thought it was a scam also.

[Tena]

I received a check today from some company called Citel Financial Ltd in the amount of you guessed it $3980.89. What can we do about these scam artist?

[Demetria Thomas]

I received a letter and a check today in the mail for $3980.89 and could not find the company name CITEL nowhere, what can I do?

[Brian Fuhrer]

I received an letter and check today for $3980.89 from the all-state lottery which I supposedly won on June 13, 2007. Check was drawn on the Comerica Bank in Detroit Michigan from a business in Sterling Heights Michigan. The business has a web page and a phone number. This is a real scam that has now hit in the Chicago area. I was really suspicious when I called the number in Ontario Canada and could not get any details from the guy on the other end of the phone. Not sure how to proceed. I am considering passing the information along to a local TV news station and the better business bureau to make sure someone doesn't fall pray to this scam.

[Sheila Perminter]

Received the same letter in Pennasylvania from CITEL Financial LTD. for $3980.89 sighned by Maria Johnson, Credit Control Dept but letter was stamped from Cananda. I am notifying my local governor about this scam.

[Kathy Davis]

I just received the same offer today here in Michigan for $3,980.89 and I'am glad this site is here to check it out. I got a check a few months ago and I also called the people to see what to do. They wanted me to put it in my account then call them back after my deposit was made. Glad I didn't, as it was too good to be true as it did come at a very bad time.

[Macsen]

Wow. This is big. Im in Maryland and just recieved the same letter as most of you. It was from Citel Financial Ltd. and the check for you guessed it $3980.89. From JP Morgan Chase Bank Chicago, IL and the company representing was Buzzi Unicem Usa Inc. in 357 n.w. 72nd Ave. # 407 Miami, Fl. Like the rest of you Im sure the first night is all the planning for your new found wealth well from what Ive read good thing I did not cash it. The check looked real with hand signed name, watermark, etc. There were also two names and numbers associated with this for me they are, Joanne Peters and David Zimmerman 416-828-5538, 416-82-5593. Be careful if you call they are good and convincing. I work as a PI and did some investigating and could not find anything to confirm the checks authentisity. So I contacted the bank represented and they confirmed what most of you already know. It is a SCAM. I was advised to contact my local FBI representative and to give them as much info as possible to aid in their investigation. I advise everyone else to do the same and maybe we as a community can put a stop to this.

[Macsen]

Wow. This is big. Im in Maryland and just recieved the same letter as most of you. It was from Citel Financial Ltd. and the check for you guessed it $3980.89. From JP Morgan Chase Bank Chicago, IL and the company representing was Buzzi Unicem Usa Inc. in 357 n.w. 72nd Ave. # 407 Miami, Fl. Like the rest of you Im sure the first night is all the planning for your new found wealth well from what Ive read good thing I did not cash it. The check looked real with hand signed name, watermark, etc. There were also two names and numbers associated with this for me they are, Joanne Peters and David Zimmerman 416-828-5538, 416-82-5593. Be careful if you call they are good and convincing. I work as a PI and did some investigating and could not find anything to confirm the checks authentisity. So I contacted the bank represented and they confirmed what most of you already know. It is a SCAM. I was advised to contact my local FBI representative and to give them as much info as possible to aid in their investigation. I advise everyone else to do the same and maybe we as a community can put a stop to this.

[Claudia]

I'm from Texas and guess what??? I just received a letter today from CITEL Financial Ltd. stating that I won the All-State-Lotto Corp in the amount of $275,000.00. Enclosed was a check....yes, you guessed it....$3,980.89. I'm glad I found this site. I thought it was a scam as like some of you all had said...why didn't it come certified? It was signed by Maria Johnson and had two contacts Joanne Peters and David Zimmerman at 416-828-5583 or 416-826-5593. The check was from National City Ashland, OH and sponsered by Adams Rite Aerospace in Fullerton, CA 92835. What can be done about this?

[Vicki Duvall]

Just want you to know, the scam is also being attempted in Illinois. My letter says I am a winner of the Australian sweepstakes lottery. Yes, I received a phony check for $3,900, and my "claims attorney" is Ron Clark. Knowing I had entered no foreign lottery and knowing it read like a scam from the get-go, I researched Unicem USA Inc Miami FL and found the Action 13 website.

I shudder to think that many people will fall for this and possibly lose everything they have. I'm guessing I'd better notify my local police and newspaper......thanks for confirming my suspicions!!

[Steve Pearson]

I got the same lotto check many above have spoken of. Check looks very real with watermarks as well. Same contact folks like David Zimmerman and Joanne Peters. Amount is for 3,980.89 right to the penny. Folks want to know what to do? Take to your bank and have the teller photocopy ( they can blacken out your name ) and they will send it to their security folks and word can get out about it as a scam. When I got it, I was 99% sure it was a scam right away. Finding this site just confirmed it.

[S G]

I RECEIVED THE SAME LETTER AND CALLED NUMBER 4033831963 AND SPEAK TO THE PERSON NAMED JOANNE PETERS OR DAVID ZIMMERMAN. AT FIRST I DID NOT KNOW THIS LETTER IS NOT REAL AND I CHECK ONLINE AND FIND OUT THIS LETTER IS A SCAM. I JUST WANT TO TELL EVERYONE BE CAREFULL WHEN YOU RECEIVE THIS KIND LETTER AND YOU SHOULD CALL THE NUMBER SAY F THIS KIND COMPANY.

A friend of mine received check dated 10/10/07 from CITEL FINANCIAL LTD. issued through Washington Mutual Bank in the amount of
$3,980.89. After reading letter and after he called number and they told him to deposit the check he brought it to work to show us. After reviewing the check closely, it looked REAL! Then it was noticed the word VOID is wrote across the entire front of the check. You have to be in very good lighting and hold the check flat in front of you and you will see a bunch of dots. If you look close the dots spell out VOID!

[daxloves]

I too have receved one of these and I live in Washington state. The check ammount and contact numbers are the same.

[tim brown]

I to have received a check 3980.89 a bank in dallas tx . Bank one,Texas n.a. I found it strange that a company in texas would go to canada to mail a litter.

[Scot Clapp]

I am a Fraud Investigator for a bank and I see thousands of these checks a year all from a variety of scams. Most of these checks originate from Nigerian Gangs and almost all the checks are printed on good check stock purchased at office supply stores. All the check stock has security features located on them somewhere. Everyone of these checks were received with some type of letter or phone # to call. If you receive one of these checks just throw it away. If you really want to give your money away, donate it to your favorite charity. At least you can feel good about it.

[steve s.]

I also received a check in the mail from Citel Financial LTD. for the amount of $3,980.89. Contacts are Joanne Peters and David Zimmerman with the phone number of 403-383-1963. Bank of America is written plainly across the front of the check, but the routing number on the check is invalid... the account number on the check is in fact the routing number for Bank of America, and the check document appears to be valid.. but it is 100% SCAM. The letter is also postmarked from Canada.

[John Doe]

We are residents of Virgina
My Wife got a letter from Citel Financial Ltd. That reads:
Ref#HZ/74/43/87
Batch # 4128P028-7652

RE: Lottery Claim Final Notification

This is to inform you of the release of the Inter-State Lotto Company
held on the 13th of May 2007. Your name attached to the Sweepstake no.
879-5123-145 with serial no. 2057-11 drew the lucky numbers of
33-74-13-41-99-18, which consequently won the sweepstakes in the 4th
category.
Your total Winnings is $275,000.00 US, credited to file with
Ref#:HZ/74/43/87. This is from a total cash price of $1,650,000.00 US
shared amoung six international winners in theis category.
NOTE: All successful winners must make their claims no later than
November 02, 2007. Any unclaimed funds will be deemed null and void
........also said Enclosed ia a check of $3980.89 which was deducted
from your winnings. You will be using the sum of $2980.89 to pay for the
taxes on your big winning.
A certificate of prize claim will be sent to you by mail. Note that the
funds will be transferred less than 24 hrs after you have called our
office and met our requirements.
You are advise to contact your assigned claims agents Joanne Peters or
David Zimmerman at 403-383-1963 for further instructions.....
it also advised you to keep the letter in a safe place as it is strictly
confidential and solely intended for the consumption of the person's on
the check........
The letter was signed by Maria Johnson
A check in the amount of $3980.89 from Washington Mutual Bank was
included with the letter.

Please do not cash the check.

[jones]

I got the same exact letter same numbers and everything...I live in California. The canadian postage was what got me. My husband did some research and the phone number had a canadian area code. The check was from Bank of america
so I contacted them and they said it was all a scam. Is there anything we can do?? I couldnt imagine this letter going to someone who actually falls for it. This kind of thing would completley destroy someones life.

[June Losey]

Thanks for your site. Without it I may have cashed my check for $3980.89 and wired them them the $2980.89 as instructed. This site is a life saver.
Thanks a lot.

[sandy]

Has there been any response from authoritis about this scam?

[Cori]

Got the samething today on Oct. 25th 2007 and everything matches but a couple things are different which means they are trying to more sneaky. I am calling my local FBI headcorders and reporting this. Do not, I repeat, do not do anything with these checks. Just report it to your local officals!!!!

[Rosalind]

I just received a letter from Citel Financial Ltd. I really thought this check was real. I did some research and called the associated bank and they informed me that this is probably was a scam.

[Ford]

This is so out of control, and something needs to be done about it. This is my second awards letter with a check for ( wonder why its always the same amount) 3980.89.

[Laura]

My mother got the same letter and check from CITEL Financial LTD, but appears to be from Mellon Bank Center, Pittsburgh, PA. All the other details, $3980.89 check, contact Joanne Peters or David Zimmerman at 403-397-4652 or 403-383-1963, appear similar. How many elderly people fall victim to this crap???

[Cyndy Snyder]

I also got a letter telling me that I had won some great lottery from citel financial ltd. It told me that I had won $275,000.00 and to call Joanne peter or david zimmerman. Thank heavens I decided to look them up to see what it was all about. It is amazing just how good these people are getting.

[M Burton]

I received a letter from CITEL Financial Ltd of Westlake, OH. today announcing that I was one of 6 winners set to split a $1.65 million dollar lotto. There was a check for $3980.89 drawn on the Dollar Bank of Westlake OH enclosed that I was advised to deposit in my bank. I spoke with a man who informed me that everything was on the up and up. Just follow the directions, he said, and call back for additional instructions after I deposited the check. I am a firm believer in if "it seems too good to be true", it is. So I tore up the check and letter. I hope others follow my lead.

[Kimberly]

FYI, to all reading this column of info I am from Kansas and I received a letters as well. It seems that they are now trying a new line of information. The company is Cnitel Financing Solutions, Inc. The letter is signed by a Bodkins Yvette, and my assigned claims attorney is Eric Summers at phone # 902-412-2394. I have been researching this letter since I pulled it from the mail this morning and everything seemed legitimate until I googled the Sweepstake no. 879-5123-145 and I was directed to this blog. Also using the All-State Lotto Corp. and I like a lot of those on here have entered several sweepstakes and couldn't be for certain that this wasn't one of them. I was sent a check for $3950.00 to pay for the taxes of $3250.00. Today is 11/03/07 and the sweepstakes was drawn on 08/18/07. My winnings were $175,000 in the 3rd category. When I called the phone number listed I didn't get a name I was just told to deposit the check and then call them back. I was already unsure about the whole thing and that made me even more nervous. I'm glad that this blog is here, although I would have kept researching until I was certain it was legit. I have not been able to find anything bad about any of the company titles that are listed in my letter or on my check. They are as follows Cnitel Financing Solutions, Inc., All-state Lotto Corp, Covey Foundation, and Mellon Bank of PA. I will go through my bank and follow up with what they recommend on how to proceed with this matter. Thank you again for this blog much appreciated!!!!!!!

[sandi]

I'm in Wisconsin and just received this letter with a very realistic looking check for 3,980.89 made out to my husband. Mine came from Michigan and has a Maria Johnson as the contact person. I figured right away it was a scam (although my hubby does play the lottery now and then). S I promptly sat down at my computer to Google it. (Of course all the while I was praying it wasn't a scam!)

I shudder to think of how many people who are not scam savvy, will fall for this and lose whatever money they have. These people should be strung up by their
_ _ _ _ _ you can fill in the blanks anyway you like!
Wish there was something we could do. any suggestions????

[Too Good to be True New Yorker]

Gee wiz, could have fooled me. I was on my way to the bank. What is the deal with this scam? I guess if something is too good to be true, it usually is.

[roxydog]

by now we all been there got that same dollar amount same scumbags
email this web site to all your friends
tell them google it and pass it on
before they become a victim

[mike]

just got a check in the mail for 3980.89 and after finding out it is a scam i just want to call them and cuss them out but im afraid they will keep calling if i reveal my number to them...this needs to be stopped somehow

[amber robinson]

i just reiceved the same letter and check i then called mr zimmerman and told him exactly what i thought of him

[Scarfo's]

Got my check today LOL the check made my heart skip a beat thought it was real hubby got it in his name and brought it to me i thought it was true. even took it to my bank and they said there having problems with this same scam PPL. cashing them and sending money to them can something be done!

[Steve]

My wife just received the letter from CITEL Financial Ltd. dated November 2, 2007. The letter claims her total share winnings of $275,000.00, which was split 4 ways from an original $1,650,000.00 Inter-State Lotto. Of course, we were very suspicious of the authenticity and motive of this award. We do not participate in lotterys or sweepstakes, so we were sure this was a scam to begin with. The letter included a check in the amount of $3,980.89 made payable to my wife and drawn on a Wells Fargo Bank N.A. account. The check contains a live signature, watermarks and other security controls commonly used against check fraud....so it looks very real!! The letter also requested our participation to complete award requirements and contact claims agents Joanne Peters or David Zimmerman at 403.397.4652 / 403.383.1963.

We have registered our complaint with Ms. Peters & Mr. Zimmerman, as well, forwarded a copy to our local congressman, registered a complaint with the FTC & the BBB. We are also sending a copy to the local FBI office. We would encourage similar actions by other victims.

[fly by nite]

no no realy its not a scam you lucky folks
realy realy won the lottery I promise
need more proff send me a check for lets say $25.00 and I'LL think of something clever
to send you back LOL

[Maria B W]

what a let down...I do enter lotteries in hopes of actually winning...I guess I wasted my time...I did send money orders to companies that claim they will release monies to me, but i will not give any personal info. am i too late?...i guess they try and get you any way they can! my hubby will freak when he finds out...in the past i actually deposited a similar check, and contacted the bank just in time after finding out it was a scam! thanks again! we have to stick together and get these people behind bars!
MBW conestoga PA

[Maria B W]

what a let down...I do enter lotteries in hopes of actually winning...I guess I wasted my time...I did send money orders to companies that claim they will release monies to me, but i will not give any personal info. am i too late?...i guess they try and get you any way they can! my hubby will freak when he finds out...in the past i actually deposited a similar check, and contacted the bank just in time after finding out it was a scam! thanks again! we have to stick together and get these people behind bars!
MBW conestoga PA

[sarah burton]

i cashed the check and spent alot of the money now my bank balance is neg. over 2000.oo is there anything i can do to get my money back?

[Paula]

Hello everyone!(thanks for helping me prove to my husband this was a scam!)
My husband received a letter and check just like everyone else's dated November 9, 2007. I was immediately thinking it was a scam.
Why didn't we have to sign for it?
Why was it mailed from Canada?
Why is there no return address on the envelope or on the letter?
SCAM!!!!
The letter goes as follows:

CITEL Financial Ltd.
phone: (403)383-1963

Ref#: DF/75/41/10
Batch:# 4128P028-7652

RE: LOTTERY CLAIM FINAL NOTIFICATION

This is to inform you of the release of the INTER-STATE Lotto held on the 13th of September 2007. Your name attached to the Sweepstake no 879-5123-145 with Serial no. 2057-11 drew the lucky numbers of 33-74-13-41-99-18, which consequently won the sweepstakes in the 4th category.

Your total Winnings is $275,000.00 US (Two Hundred Seventy Five Thousand), credited to file with Ref#: DF/75/41/10. This is from a total cash price of $1,650,000.00 US (One Million and Six Hundred Fifty Thousand) shared among six international winners in this category.

NOTE: All successful winners must make their claims no later than December 5, 2007. Any unclaimed funds will be deemed null and void. To faciliate prompt assistance please remember to state your Reference and Batch numbers in all correspondence with our office. Once again congratulations from all members of our staff and thank you for being part of our international promotions program.

Enclosed is a check of $3980.89 which was deducted from your winnings. You will be using the sum of $2980.89 to pay for the taxes on your big winning. A certificate of prize claim will be sent to you by mail. Note that the funds will be transferred less than 24hrs after you have called our office and met our requirements. You are advised to contact your assigned claims agents JOANNE PETERS or DAVID ZIMMERMAN at 403-397-4652 or 403-383-1963 for further instructions on how to claim your winnings. We are looking forward to hearing from you. Please feel free to either call our office (from the number listed above). We will be more than happy to assist you. NOTE: Please keep this letter in a safe place as it is strictly confidential and is solely inteded for the consumption of the person's name on the check. If it falls into the wong persons hands, they may have access to the winnings that are rightfully yours.
Your Sincerely,
(maria signed here)
Maria Johnson
For: CREDIT CONTROL DEPARTMENT

[Paula]

I forgot to say we live in Missouri!

[Sharen]

Just recieved this wonderful news today, just in time for the holidays...... yes, there is a Santa Claus (a crooked one). Another clue flashing "scam".. it came in my old name. These idiots can't even be on top of things as well as not thinking people notice it was mailed from Canada.... duh

[Pam]

Of course we want to believe this is true. So, I "googled" CITEL Financial Ltd. and this is the first website that appeared (Thanks, ABC13 of Houston). My suspicions are confirmed. However, what would happen if we tried to cash the check at a Currency Exchange? The check will not be going through our bank. Any thoughts?? Happy Thanksgiving!!

[LaTissa]

It has made it to Wisconsin...i recieved a letter with the same information as everyone elso with the same chack amount enclosed, the check that i got was from a bank in Atlanta GA and the the idiot singed the check with an ink pen not stamped as most BIG checks are...i got excied for about 2 seconds and then reality kicked in and i realized that i had not entered in any lotto or sweepstakes...and the check was mailed all the way from Canada...yeah right...hopefully others will find this web site as well...

[Mechell]

I received the same exact letter as sarah burton husband:

The letter goes as follows:

CITEL Financial Ltd.
phone: (403)383-1963

Ref#: DF/75/41/10
Batch:# 4128P028-7652

RE: LOTTERY CLAIM FINAL NOTIFICATION

This is to inform you of the release of the INTER-STATE Lotto held on the 13th of September 2007. Your name attached to the Sweepstake no 879-5123-145 with Serial no. 2057-11 drew the lucky numbers of 33-74-13-41-99-18, which consequently won the sweepstakes in the 4th category.

Your total Winnings is $275,000.00 US (Two Hundred Seventy Five Thousand), credited to file with Ref#: DF/75/41/10. This is from a total cash price of $1,650,000.00 US (One Million and Six Hundred Fifty Thousand) shared among six international winners in this category.

NOTE: All successful winners must make their claims no later than December 5, 2007. Any unclaimed funds will be deemed null and void. To faciliate prompt assistance please remember to state your Reference and Batch numbers in all correspondence with our office. Once again congratulations from all members of our staff and thank you for being part of our international promotions program.

Enclosed is a check of $3980.89 which was deducted from your winnings. You will be using the sum of $2980.89 to pay for the taxes on your big winning. A certificate of prize claim will be sent to you by mail. Note that the funds will be transferred less than 24hrs after you have called our office and met our requirements. You are advised to contact your assigned claims agents JOANNE PETERS or DAVID ZIMMERMAN at 403-397-4652 or 403-383-1963 for further instructions on how to claim your winnings. We are looking forward to hearing from you. Please feel free to either call our office (from the number listed above). We will be more than happy to assist you. NOTE: Please keep this letter in a safe place as it is strictly confidential and is solely inteded for the consumption of the person's name on the check. If it falls into the wong persons hands, they may have access to the winnings that are rightfully yours.
Your Sincerely,
(maria signed here)
Maria Johnson
For: CREDIT CONTROL DEPARTMENT

I live in NY!!!!!!

[Linda]

Oh wow I won a lottery in Austrailia..NOT!! I got a scam letter from Canada .It's from a place called Global Financial Bureau.It said I won 750,000USD.Enclosed was a MO for 4,950 USD.It went on to say in order for me to claim my winnings and pay a one time tax fee of 2,980 by Moneygram or western Union. Also to phone Attorney Mr Clifford West at 647-219-**** within 5 working days for instructions on how to process my claim. The money order looked legit. Made out to me from East west Bank. It said also not to cash until I call and speak to a claim agent.I am not going to even waste my time,as I am sure it is a scam. I will contact authorities though and also our local tv news to tell our Don't waste your money anchor so he can warn the public.It's a shame these get sent out especially during the holiday season when money is tight for lots of people. It gets their hopes up for nothing.

[Laura Jones]

Well It is in Maine also got me very excited but just knew it was to good to be true. Same # as everyone else one or two different. Will take it to the post office and to the bank. Rotten #$%^& get someone to think life just got better.

[Jonathan]

New company front and new amounts are now being used... I got a letter From Laselle Financial Ltd. With a check for 3860.95 and wanted me to pay 2990.00 for taxes to cover winnings of $288,000.00 letter was dated the 5th of december and I recieved it today, the 14th I really hope someone can put a stop to this, they're getting away with far too much already!!

[Jan S.]

I received a similar letter, but now they are using LASELLE FINANCIAL LTD. (Good company name is LasAlle) with a check with Wells Fargo bank's name on it..we turned it into the bank.. This one was from Canada..they wanted us to call them after we deposited the check of $3860.95 for $2990. for international taxes after you deposit their check, take cash and get wire transfer to Canada ATTN John Matthews..they really make it sound real and looks very real..too good to be true..I wonder how many people fall for this..this is such a crime...why can't someone do something about this..??

[Promise Cornett]

What a pie crust promise. I told my son I felt this was a scam. He did call the number on the letter regarding this great win and told the woman his mother felt this to be a scam. LASELLE FINANCIAL Ltd. has struck again. Here it is just two days from my birthday. The letter I got is dated January 5,2008. My letter is almost identical to what everone else's says. I believe with all my heart that these people need to be sent to Iraq's prisons as ours are to comfy. Maybe they are from there anyway,who knows. Of course I google everything. This is truly a wonderful site for preventing sore hearts. Glad it was available for me. Thanks for the pearls of wisdom. From Joplin Missouri and not laughing all the way to the bank.

[Emily]

This is total crap. Iwas so excited and I found this site just in time with a copy of the exact same letter as mine. Thanks for letting us know about this very cruel scam.

[LeAnne H.]

This blog is awesome! I, too, received a letter yesterday from LASELLE Financial Ltd. It says my total winnings were $288,000.00 and I was one of four international winners. The check enclosed was for $3860.95 and I was to use $2990.00 to pay taxes on my winnings. Same scenario as most of the comments made before me. This whole scam is so awful...so many people, including myself, think they have become winners to a substantial amount of money. I hope these people get shut down in a hurry. Thanks for posting this on the web. It has saved me!! By the way, I live in Florida. This thing has gone nationwide

[April]

I received the same letter from Laselle Financial LTD, and I am in California. These people are so good. The check looks real and they sound so legitimate when you call. They even had my mother in law going there for a few, and she is in banking. Thank goodness for websites like these. I was reading through some of the postings here and read the one about there being "void" written on the check in very faint, small dots. I looked closely at my "check" and lo and behold there it was! Void written all over it. Remember, if you ever win a lottery, notification of winnings will come by certified mail. I feel so bad for all the people who will fall for these kinds of scams.It is just so wrong.

[April]

I received the same letter from Laselle Financial LTD, and I am in California. These people are so good. The check looks real and they sound so legitimate when you call. They even had my mother in law going there for a few, and she is in banking. Thank goodness for websites like these. I was reading through some of the postings here and read the one about there being "void" written on the check in very faint, small dots. I looked closely at my "check" and lo and behold there it was! Void written all over it. Remember, if you ever win a lottery, notification of winnings will come by certified mail. I feel so bad for all the people who will fall for these kinds of scams.It is just so wrong.

[Rachel K.]

Ok...looks like I am the next victim in this scam. I came home today to find a plain white envelope with Canadian postage. The envelope was addressed with a plain white laser label. No return address. The date on the ck was Jan 15, 2008. The letter is dated Jan 23, 2008. My letter came on "unofficial" looking letterhead from LaSelle Financial, Ltd in Oakton, VA. The check appears to be drawn from Wachovia. I am told to contact someone named Rachel White or Bryan Goodman. My check is for $3860.95 and the letter states that $2990 is for taxes on the supposed $288,000 that I won in the Nation Lotto Corp. I too...am one of four international winners. I have to contact them by my birthday. How ironic!! I am glad that I decided to search this on the internet. Thank God for the WWW!!

[H Reid]

I am in Ohio and I too received the "winning lottery check" from Laselle and have also been instructed that I am one of the "four" winners in the Inter-Nation Lotto along with a check in the amount of $3860.95. I do enter a LOT of online sweepstakes and lotteries, and therefore am glad to have a site like this as I have already been taken once by scammers. THANKS for the site!!!

[Bonnie T]

I received my check today, February 2, 2008. for $3,860.95 and it had the name and address of LASELLE FINANCIAL LTD, 2914 Chain Bridge Rd., Oakton, VA 22124. It was written on a WACHOVIA BANK, N.A. The information was about the same. It gave a Ref#: and a Batch:#. It says that I won the sweepstakes in the 6th category. I won $288,000.00 US from a total cash (price) $1,152,000.00 US shared among four international winners.
I can tell that it is from a foreign person, because of the grammar and spelling. I believe that they got my name from an ordering company. This letter came to my sons address and not my own. I always have my mail ordering purchased sent to his house, nothing else.

[LISA IVERSON]

GOT THE SAME LETTER AS THE ONE ON JANUARY 29, 2008. MINE HAS THE EXACT INFORMATION AS THAT ONE. EVEN THE CONTACT PEOPLE ARE THE SAME. I LIVE IN NORTH DAKOTA AND AM SENDING THIS INFORMATION TO MY ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE. THESE SCAMS ARE ILLEGAL AND SHOULD BE STOPPED. THEY EVEN USED BY OLD MARRIED NAME AND SENT IT TO A POSTAL BOX I SHARED WITH A SISTER OVER FOUR YEARS AGO. I HAVE BEEN REMARRIED FOR ABOUT THREE YEARS NOW. I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY DON'T EVEN UPDATE ANY OF THEIR RECORDS. I HOPE PEOPLE WILL SEND THIS INFORMATION TO SOMEONE WHO HOLDS A STATE OFFICE JOB SUCH AS AN ATTORNEY GENERAL. WE NEED TO STOP THIS KIND OF TRASH. I CAN'T IMAGINE SOME OLDER PERSON FALLING FOR THIS KIND OF CRAP.

[Sharon Maxie]

I just got my letter. I can see why some innocent people get suckered into this scam, esp. if they do not have the internet to check for such a scam. I am saddened that our funds have dropped in $20 from 2007. :) The check looks so real. Thanks for posting such a blog for people like me to see what this is really all about.

[Mike Dillard]

such a big fraud!cannot believe!thanks for posting it as all the innocent people who don't know about this racket will also come to know by reading this.

[Nickie Lindsa]

I received an email this week from Tristar Financials with a check for $3,820.00 wanting me to contact two guys called Paul Hansen or Saab Sergio at 905 598-0983. When I called them, Saab told me to deposit the check and they would send me the rest by Thursday. It is drawn on the aforementioned Harris Central NA bank of Roselle, Illinois, which appears to be a legitimate bank. Thanks for the information about the routing numbers and such. I am glad I didn't deposit the check!