SCAM ALERT!! SCAM ALERT!! I was not called from this number but the number is included in a mailing sent from return address "A DIRECT" and the postmark is from Indianapolis ID 460. The telephone number is from Canada. It may look legitimate BUT IT'S NOT.
If you have received a pseudo Publishers Clearing House memo with the name of the claims manager, Richard Martins, and the telephone number 'TEL: 587-708-0011' and it also contains what appears to be a legitimate check from Red Arrow Logistics with the following instructions,
"The Publishers Clearing House has made all necessary arrangements in order for you to receive your prize. Enclosed in this letter is a check to cover insurance and attorney fees...Please contact your Claim Manager without any deal BEFORE depositing this check at your financial institution and for further information on this prize."
IT IS A SCAM!!!!!. I googled the company that is named on the check and their employee said they were aware of the problem and that the FBI has an active investigation into the scam.
I also went to the Publishers Clearing House webpage and below is the web address and their policy that you can look up for yourself. If you have made any recent purchases from Harriet Carter, your information was probably sold off by Harriet Carter to a third party who used that information to solicit you via mail fraud.
At PCH winners of our major prize awards are notified live and in person by our famous Prize Patrol. Since PCH awards a steady range of prizes throughout the year, at our option we may notify winners of lesser prize amounts via an overnight express carrier such as UPS, FedEx or USPS Express Mail and occasionally via email. Major prize award and SuperPrize winners are not notified via email. Prizes are awarded within eight weeks of final winner selection.
Only PCH is authorized to notify you of a win from a PCH giveaway. There are never any strings attached to winning a Publishers Clearing House prize. We do not ask for bank account information. There is no processing fee, tax or special handling charge required to win and our prizes are delivered free of charge to the winners. If you are asked to send any money, for any reason, to collect a prize - STOP - you have not heard from the real Publishers Clearing House.
MORE FRAUD not called but this number was listed as a call point
Received a similar mailing but the fraudulent check was cut on John Hancock Life Insurance Company. Mailed from Denver Colorado with the same claims manager. The check is realistic enough that the Bank had to run it to confirm it was bogus. They are Using the registered trademarks of all the companies involved, watermarked checks, and real routing numbers. It's hard to believe that federal authorities are really serious about this fraud because it is rampant and phone companies continue to allow off-shore use of US area codes. This scam was sent to a 93-year-old who is, unfortunately, very trusting. These slimes should be boiled in oil !
Sending fake checks through the mail is a crime so contact the US Postal Service Inspectors:
https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/forms/MailFraudComplaint.aspx
https://www.usps.com/
Or you can take it to the local Postmaster also.
Federal Trade Commission:
www.stopfraud.gov/report.html
Phone: 1 (877) FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357)
http://www.fraud.org/
http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx
http://www.fbi.gov/
Tip off FBI about this attempt by filing form at: stips.fbi.gov/