My uncle receives a check in mail?? Please advise!

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Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 12:12 am

I hope this is in the correct forum, if not MODs please move to where it needs to be.

My uncle receives a check in the mail I am told a few minutes ago by my parents. I told them immediately that it was a scam check. Made out in his name and from Toronto, Canada. My uncle doesn't even go to Canada.

He does NOT have internet, the check is apparently for a lottery winning? So my parents say. I told them to tell him that he needs to go to the police with it? And also informed them to tell my uncle DO NOT CASH it.

Any other suggestions? Should I try to get more info from my uncle for the more experienced here as to see if anything is real about this check as far as it being a scam? Maybe info that could help shut this operation down or a bank.

Sorry I am a newbie and I don't have enough info other than no one gives out money for free unless you actually entered a lottery.

I guess he went to post office with it and they wanted to keep it to show their head postmaster. But my uncle wasn't about to part with it.

Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 12:16 am

Were there any other instructions with the cheque (like paying a fee to anyone via WU?). You're right, it'll be a scam, and Toronto seems to be popular with postal scammers in general.

Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 12:20 am

manbiteslion,

I am not sure, I explained to my parents how that works and asked. They really don't know. The way my dad sounds he might try and cash it. That's what I am afraid of. My uncle is retired, 78 years old and ill, needs money too.

I will definitely try to go and get photos tomorrow for this thread if he lets me. I will get all the info I can possibly if he allows me. Of course less his personal information.

GotNoCash

Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 12:33 am

I called my parents to see if they knew any more info. My dads says a letter came with a check in the amount of $5,000 in it stating not to cash it yet. Something about he is suppose to send a WU payment and that there was an 800 number for the US and Canada.

Oh and it was Ottawa, Ontario - Canada, not Toronto as I earlier stated.

Definitely a scam as far as everything I have read here. (Not that I needed to read or know about this site to put 2 + 2 together. ) Wink

What I find odd is that my dad says (as far as he recalls) the letter says not to cash the check yet. Maybe someone more experienced than myself (which wouldn't take much) could enlighten me about.

*edit* My uncle I guess is out with his lady friend on a date. I'll try him in the morning.

Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 12:36 am

Do everything you can to stop him from banking that cheque! If he didn't enter a lottery, he didn't win one, so it'll be a fake cheque and he'll get nothing but trouble from it as I think you suspect. At first it will all seem fine, he'll withdraw and spend the cash (or WU it to the scammers, worse still), but maybe 6 months later, once the bank have realised it's fake, it'll be removed from his account again, plus interest and fees, send him massively overdrawn, and possibly get him criminal proceedings from the bank. At 78, he doesn't need that, and nor do you, his family.

Get any extra info you can and post it up here - we may be able to give you more details about the scam (which you're right, it almost certainly is!)

Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 12:38 am

If he hasn't entered the lottery, he hasn't won it, and as it claims to be a lottery outside his country, he couldn't legally enter it if he'd wanted to. It's unusual for the postal lottery scams to include a cheque as far as I know, it's usually the promise of said cheque, with a number to ring to claim your 'prize'.

I do remember reading about a variant where the victim is told the cheque is for 'clearance' for the actual, much larger, 'prize', though. The victim is supposed to send money drawn on the fake or stolen cheque for said 'clearance' fees.

It's a scam. Tear up and bin the cheque, and forget it.

Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 12:40 am

^^^^^
Oh, that reminds me. My dad says this is something about partial winning, that the total was something like $150,000.

Something about a process he has to go through...so I am curious how this scam works. That's why I will be adiment about getting info from my uncle.

Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 12:47 am

^^^Yep that seals it, it's a come-on to cash the $5k and WU it back to them (which makes no kind of sense in the real world of course). Rip it up, no good can come of it. And give yourself a cheer for spotting it and doing something about it!

Next stage is to publicise the case in the local papers, church, social groups, etc., save anyone else getting caught out

Finally, we're always happy to have new baiters - come and take revenge against scammerkind for almost ruining your uncle!

Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 1:04 am

^^^ Great idea, never thought of taking it to local papers. Where I live there are many elderly people. Small town, older community. Once i get photos and info I will contact local papers to see if they would publish the story as a warning to others. What about the newspaper mentioning of this website and others source for suspecting victims. Is that allowable?

I've already started baiting three days ago and exchanged several emails already with awesome success at getting all three (i know same person) of script easily. They are now answering all my additional questions about the weather, favorite colors etc.

I always ask at least two foolish questions in my exchanges. If they don't respond to them, I tell them if they can't answer my questions to get to know each other, I'll refuse to obey their instructions until they do so. It's worked and gotten every question I asked answered to date.

Sorry about going off topic. I just realized that.

Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 1:14 am

GotNoCash wrote:

I am not sure, . The way my dad sounds he might try and cash it. That's what I am afraid of. My uncle is retired, 78 years old and ill, needs money too.

GotNoCash

i would be letting the banks know and make sure your your uncle carnt cash it if he has than tell the bank now so that it does not become a bigger debt

some times you have to be cruel to be kind

Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 1:18 am

@GotnoCash

You'll be able to get the local newspapers interested I'm sure. Mention Eater, but more importantly, mention Scamwarners for information and help.

If you can convince your parents, get them to go with your Uncle to the Bank, make sure they take everything with them, letters, cheque etc, and tell the Bank that you are sure it is a fake,

It will be hard for your Uncle to accept, but I'd rather have an upset Uncle, than an Uncle facing criminal charges or worse.

Good Luck

Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 8:19 am

Hi GNC,

The local papers love this kind of stuff, especially if they can relate it to their own readership with local people affected.

Personally I'd mention scamwarners.com as opposed to 419eater.com - they're the nice ones, we're the nasty ones (or ones the older paper readers might find more difficult). Actually it's many of the same people at both sites, just giving attention differently - scamwarners is about sharing scam information and so forth, we're the evil twins taking crude vigilante revenge (or that's how many journalists would see it if they just browsed casually).

If anyone from the paper would like to check their article factually, or to discuss other scams their readers may encounter, just PM me here with your email address and I'll happily help them.

Hope you saved a lot of tears and are the family hero now - you certainly should be!

Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 11:59 am

@ GotNoCash

All good advice above, but it might also be a good idea to visit Scamwarners.com yourself and post this scam so others who visit there can see it and are aware of this modality.

Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 12:21 pm

http://thinkjessica.com/ is worth a visit too. It's devoted to elderly victims of lottery scams sent through the post.

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