Did I really win this sweepstakes?

Today I received a letter in the mail that seems very legit. It is addressed to me and it says:





Dear Lucky Winner,


This is to inform you that a lump sum amount of $215,000.00 has been deposited into our bank by the international Lottery cooperation as your sweepstakes prize. Enclosed is a check of $4400.00 as your first payment.





Your prize can be transferred to your bank account electronically or sent to your address as a certified check. Please contact your claim agent and specify how you want to receive the balance of your prize.





You are required to contact your claim agent before depositing the check in order to register and activate your claim.


**


It gives the number to the claim agent and says the time they're open. They gave me a claim number as well.





Also, there is a check for $4,400.00. It seems authentic, no void written on it.





The letter is from Liberty Investments INC in Ontario, Canada. I have entered many contests. Could this be real?

Did I really win this sweepstakes?
First off, you do have a least a ounce of common sense, (otherwise you would have sent the money). What I mean is ask yourself these questions. Did I enter this contest? If not, how did they come to get my name? Why would they send me a check and not the full amount if this is legit? Why would I need to contact anyone? Something sounds too good to be true, so it isnt. What happens when you contact this agent and most are african. They will tell you to deposit the (phoney) check in your acct. Then in order to pay for the handling of your claim, you will need get (a legit) cashiers check issued from your bank. While you are so anxious to get this done to receive all this money. You send it b e f o r e their phoney check has a chance to clear the banking system. So while you dream about what you are going to do with all these thousands you are believing to receive because you have done what was asked of you, the bank is getting ready to deliver a bombshell to your door, via mail. That the check did not clear and you are liable for all the fees and the face amt of the check. Thank God my mom did no do her usual and be gulable, she gave me her "secret" and told me about it. Well I checked the bank which suposedly issued the check and was told by them that there is no such number. Then I checked with the clearing house that handles the check. They said they do not know the establishment but just handle their acct. These agents are not locatable. The addresses do not exist. I had them from Spain, Amsterdam and Australia. Each is an african who is the agent. You can tell by their voices.


So when you get those letters, you can forward them on to the FTC or just check them with the web site on the bottom.


Don't forget if it sounds too good to be true it probablely...
Reply:If you're in States and the add on the check shows ontario, that's a Big hint it's a scam...





I believe most sweet stakes are within us if you play in us right?
Reply:It's a scam. They had a lady on some talk show recently that got taken by one of these very legit sounding Lottery Scams. One HUGE scam allert is: you should NEVER have to give out your bank account info, ever! And you should never have to give them money to get the money they claim is yours. Don't get scamed!





By the time that check reaches your bank they'll already have you whiped out, then they're check will bounce. And a lot of the time there's nothing you can do about it once it's been done.





PS. Sodexho Inc is a food service corporation out of Gathersburg MD. Not what they claim in your letter.
Reply:Is there a number on the letter? If so, call the bank abnd ask them things about the contest.





Also, never give them your Credit Card number/SSN, etc. That'd be bad.
Reply:sorry, it is a scam.
Reply:You didnt win anything. Throw it away-delete it, whatever.


Here is the key. They want you to give them your bank account number so they can deposit your winnings into your account.


You give them your number, they clean your account out-every dime you own.


If its too good to be true-it is.
Reply:what happens is you cash the check , then they tell you later that you need 3500 or something to process the rest of the money. so, you send the 3500 to them, they disappear without a trace and your stuck paying back your bank for the bounced check.


the best thing to remember when recognizing a scam is if you didn't enter a lottery or sweepstakes and get a check that says you won. its fake!


also most of these types of scams are foreign.


never give personal info over the phone , social security, bank acct. #'s and such, if someone asks for that info , yep!its a scam.
Reply:bin it!! if u were gonna get that much money the would have at least had ur name on it! if it was that much money it wouldnt have even come in the post!!sum1 wud have arrived at ur door to congragulate u!! is the call line really expensive?if so thats how they usually make there money! dont get screwed like i did!! think first!
Reply:It doesn't smell good to me. It seems that if you won something legitimate that it would have the name of the sweepstakes in the letter not just a blanket term. I would definitely advise you to proceed with caution, and whatever you do, DO NOT give the so-called claim agent any personal information such as a bank account number, mother's maiden name, social security number, etc. Do an Internet search for Liberty Investments INC and see if it is a legitimate institution. Please be careful!!!!
Reply:You could use a quick lesson in scams right now before you get into trouble. I also received several legit looking checks (high tech security features) and correspondence of big money wins. I typed scams in google and spent many hours looking this. Everyone is trying to get your money; not give it to you.


#1 Foreign lotteries are illegal


#2 You are responsible for any monies from these scams. Make sure it is a sure win


#3 The scams are designed to get to your money via information and bank account numbers, names and addresses and SS#s.





Do your homework and you will be surpised. Also type lottories in search engine,. MSNBC (hotmail) has info in their dateline reports. The government has info. Many people are falling for the promise of big bucks and loosing everything. be careful, nothing is free. good luck