Judy Reed of Mount Airy received such a check late last week, which was accompanied by a letter informing her that she had won a “guaranteed sum” of $500,000. The $4,600 check was issued in Reed’s name to cover taxes for the winnings, which can’t be paid until the tax bill is settled, the letter states.
This scenario has all the earmarks of a frequent scam involving the issuance of checks to unsuspecting consumers, according to Lt. Jim Armbrister of the Community Services Division of the Mount Airy Police Department.
“Well, number one, the first sign is if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” Armbrister said Tuesday. “I can guarantee you that.”
Reed immediately recognized the offer as questionable, but wanted to warn other local residents who also might have received such a letter about the scam involved. “I would just kind of like for people to know,” she said.
The letter looks quite official, along with the check. Yet one red flag is apparent on the letterhead, which lists the name of a company, Brinker International, in bold letters and an address in Dallas, Texas, but no telephone number.
Brinker International operates the Chili’s restaurant chain. A spokeswoman for the company in Texas expressed familiarity Tuesday with the scam involving the fraudulent use of the company name.
The letter received by Reed advises that she is among the winners of a “consumer promotion draw” as part of a lottery sweepstakes for customers of major stores including Wal-Mart, Sears and others. It instructs her to contact a “claims agent” via a 1-888 number to authorize and activate the prize.
“You are advised to keep your winning confidential until you receive your (money),” the letter adds.
That points to another red flag, according to the city police spokesman, since legitimate companies involved in high-dollar promotions usually want to publicize the cash awards as much as possible — the whole point of those campaigns.
The letter further informs the Mount Airy resident that once the tax obligation has been met in full for her winnings, she will receive the balance of the $500,000 prize through a courier such as FedEx.
Armbrister said that typically, such scams require the recipient to submit an administrative fee or other charge to the issuer and in the meantime the initial check that has been deposited in the person’s account will turn out to be bad. However, since it might take several days for the bank to make that determination, the consumer probably will already have sent money and be stuck.
“It’s amazing that people will let themselves be taken, and the motivation for it is just greed,” Armbrister said.
Contact Police
Armbrister added that Mount Airy police will be happy to “take a look” at any such letters, or checks, received by local residents as part of ongoing efforts to protect consumers from fraud. He said officers would rather take the time to investigate such claims than have someone be victimized.
“They try to prey on the elderly,” Armbrister said. “We work stuff like this every week — it’s amazing.”
Police also advise against calling a verification number, as Reed was instructed to do in the letter she received. Armbrister said merely dialing a number can subject someone to a high cost, which is how some unscrupulous parties make money off such scams.
“I wouldn’t call to verify anything” he said, even if an “888” prefix is involved. “If anything, let law enforcement make the call for you.”
Being skeptical of such financial offers received by mail is always a wise policy, the police spokesman indicated.
Contact Tom Joyce at tjoyce@mtairynews.com or at 719-1924.
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