CALGARY- The Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission has issued a province-wide alert about a phoney prize letter.
The letter was mailed out to hundreds of homes, including seniors facilities, saying the resident has won $40,000 in the Alberta Super 7 lottery.
It also includes a $1,600 cheque that you are asked to cash, then wire money to pay government taxes on the winnings.
While the letter and cheque are fake, the AGLC logo has some people fooled.
“There have been people who have tried to cash the cheque, fortunately the number that is on the letter is no longer in service…so we are very hopefully that will be the end of this scam,” said Michelle Hynes-Dawson from the AGLC.
The Better Business Bureau says the enclosed cheque is a sign of a fraud.
“That’s a big tip that we tell everybody all the time,” explained Sandra Crozier-McKee. “If somebody’s asking you to wire money, then it’s probably a red flag.”
The BBB and Western Union have also launched a new website to warn people about common scams and why wiring money is a red flag to many of these scams. For more information about the ‘cheque-cashing’ scam, click here.
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