Fifa Women’s World Cup 2007 Sweepstkes
Posted by Chris from Mount Prospect, IL, US on September 18, 2007
Dear Bruce,
I have received a letter stating that I have won 51,000.00 along with tickets to the fifa womens world cup 2007held in China and enclosed is Citibank official check for 3,010.00. The sweepstakes coordinator is Rueben Bayne. The letter states that a receipt # from a purchase I made was one of the winners. They are asking me to deposit the 3,010.00 in my account and after it clears I am to pay processing fees and non-residential taxes with it. They are not asking me for any money other than the check amount they gave me. The contest is out of Canada. How should I handle this situation should I deposit the check or should I go directly to citibank???
Highly suspicious.....As a sweepstakes administration company, we would never send a check to anyone withourt first qualifying that they are entitled to win the promotion. We always give our Company name, a phone number and contact name where potential winners can reach us, and clearly spell out which promotion and who the sponsor is. All of which can be quickly verified by consumers.
There are many scams around involving cashier's checks, and this has all the earmarks of being one.
Just because a bank makes the funds from a deposited cashier's check available does NOT guarantee that the check is good. If the cashier's check turns out to be counterfeit, You personally will be laible any money you paid out(processing fees etc.)
I would contact the sponsor of the promotion if you know who that is, and I would NOT deposit the check before I had someone at CItibank verify that it's legit.
In general, I am very suspicious of any promotion that is from outside the US that you don't remember hearing about,or entering. Especially one that involves sending you a Cashier's check in the initial notification.....Be very careful!!
