Complaint Rating:

Company information:
Trustnet
United States

My elderly parents received a letter and "check" from Trustnet. The letter claims "We are pleased to inform you that you are one of the winners in the 'NORTH AMERICA CONSUMER PROMOTION DRAW' organized for all customers of...WALMART [sic], SEARS, HOMEDEPOT [sic], SAFEWAY." They then go on to say that the prize is $50, 000, and the the check enclosed is to be cashed and returned in the form of money transfer in order to pay the "non residents" [sic] tax applicable to the winning. My parents identified this as a scam, but I thought I'd report it to help others.

Their scam uses a bunch of different addresses to confuse the reader (or cover their tracks):

- The return address on the envelope was Metro Hall Station, 55 John St., Toronto, ON M8V3C3 (I looked this up, it's a Toronto Civic center).
- The Trustnet address on the letterhead is 4333 Charles Drive, Salt Lake City (misspelled with SALTLAKE all one word), telephone 1-647-891-7807.
- The Claim Agent is listed as Nicole Newman, phone number 1-416-834-1856 (a Toronto area code).
- The Tax Agent (the person you're supposed to send $3, 880 to) is listed as Sara Jean, 453 2nd Avenue, Ottawa, Canada, M6R3C5 (which Google Maps can't locate).
- The letter is "signed" by M. Disher (Vice President), phone number 647-863-2209.
- The enclosed check for $3, 990.00, made out in my father's name, is supposedly written on the account of Helmsman Management Services LLC, 185 Decker Ct, Irving, TX 75062, from Fleet National Bank in Hartford, CT (which no longer exists because it was bought out by Bank of America in 2007).