A Monroe area man reports receiving a letter containing a cashier’s check drawn on First Tennessee Bank in the amount of $3,950, supposedly as part of a “summer bonanza internet draw” sponsored by Fidelity.
He was entitled to $85,000 in the sweepstakes, which was entered from a “name data base” of recent shoppers at Walmart, JCPenney or Sears or those who subscribe or Reader’s Digest or have played online or in-store lottos during 2008.
All he had to do was cash the check, which was to help pay a processing fee, in order to claim the prize.
The check is a scam. After cashing it, recipients are instructed to call a number for further instructions, which involve wiring the proceeds to a third party in order to claim the larger cash prize.
The person who cashes the check is on the hook for the money when the check isn’t honored by the home bank.
A helpful teller at Fifth Third Bank checked with First Tennessee Bank and confirmed for the Monroe resident that the routing and account numbers on the check are fraudulent.
Any number of bank names and official-looking checks are used in such nationwide scams sent through first-class mail and often bearing postmarks from Canada. Do not cash such checks.
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