received a check for over $6000.00 saying I had won 2.5 million in 100 million dollar multi state raffle promotion. Check was to be used for attorney and other fees. Is this a scam?
Received check for over 6,000.00 saying I have won first place in 100 million dollar multi state raffle promotion sponsored by power ball, PCH, readers digest. I wonder if it's legitmate.
Most likely it is not legitimate.
Ask yourself:
Did you enter in any of the lotteries or contests you mentioned? You can not "win" a lotto or contest without first entering into it.
Are you instructed to cash or deposit the check, or to call a number to have the check "activated", and to use the funds to pay for taxes, fees, shipping, or any other reason? It is illegal to charge someone money in order to received their winnings.
Most likely, this is the scam.
Look for the signs:
You are sent a check to use to pay for your "prize".
You are instructed to take funds from the check and sent to another party in order for you to received your winnings and to send that money via wire transfer or pre-paid money card (like Green Dot or MoneyPak, ect...).
So, you do as instructed; Cash/deposit the check, take your money and wire/money card to the person handling the fees.
As it takes several days or weeks to fully process a check, later you find out the check was forged/stolen/counterfeit and bounces.
The money you sent, really went to the scammer and is unrecoverable. The scammer may be in another country, typically Nigeria, and you have no way of having the scammer arrested.
Cashing/depositing a fake check is a crime of which you become fully responsible for.
You are out the money you sent, fees for the bounce check, and face possible arrest for passing a fake check.
received a check for over $6000.00 saying I had won 2.5 million in 100 million dollar multi state raffle promotion. Check was to be used for attorney and other fees. Is this a scam?