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April 04, 2005

Seattle Police Struggle to Put Sweepstakes Scam in Check

Consumers who receive a prize notification and a check as winnings from the North American Prize Pool are the latest victims in a new sweepstakes scam: cash the check and say goodbye to your savings.

According to the Seattle Police Department, the "mark" is sent a letter and a check (drawn on a real bank). She is told that she has won $300,000.00 and in order to verify that the mark is really the winner, she is asked to deposit the check in her account and then send back a check for the same amount to cover the taxes. The victim's check is real; the sweepstakes check is counterfeit. When the sweepstakes check bounces, the victim's bank charges the victim for the $4,000.00.

Sweepstakes Pointer: No legitimate sweepstakes will ever charge an entrant to collect winnings. In addition, a verification process usually involves a written declaration. Finally, consumers should be suspect of any sweepstakes in which they do not remember entering.

Posted by Tsan Abrahamson at April 4, 2005 07:41 PM