April 13, 2006
Scammers, apparently operating from Canada, are attempting to defraud consumers with the tried-and-true lottery scam, but police say they have added a few new wrinkles. For one thing, along with the notification letter, victims also receive a check from a real company, Mineral Technologies.
According to the letter, the recipient has won some amount from the Lotto, and a check for around $2,000 is enclosed as a "tax and clearance fee." The letter asks the recipient to call the number in Edmonton, Alberta for further instructions.
In all cases, the checks look very realistic, but in fact, they are counterfeit.
If the recipient of a check calls the telephone number provided in these scam-letters, the recipient may be asked to cash the check and then send a bank check or wire transfer to Canada or provide his or her bank account information. With bank account information, the scam artists may be able to steal all the funds in the caller's account.
"Minerals Technologies Inc. has no connection with these counterfeit checks, which are not valid and therefore will not be honored by the Company's bank," the company said in a statement.
"We have informed the Office of the Attorney General in North Carolina and New York State. If you receive such a check, do not try to cash it. Your bank may actually seem to successfully cash it, but when the fraudulent check makes its way through the banking system, it will be returned as counterfeit, and you will have to repay the money."
