866-920-5245

Woman named Jane Farcas calling to tell me that she had an unclaimed check in an amount greater than $100,000 that I had won.  She had a very thick accent, and I had to ask several times to understand what organization she claimed to represent.  She stated she represented the Federal Claims Bureau (which does not exist), and was trying to locate me in order to verify some information in order to deliver the check, which she stated was winnings from the Publisher's Continental Sweepstakes (also does not exist).  Fortunately she had an old address, and I would not give her the new one, so she gave me this number to call back when I decided I was comfortable.  Right.  When researching these supposed organizations I found several others who had encountered the same situation, and apparently it leads to a request for $1850 in shipping insurance before they will send your "winnings."

I just got the same call! Thank for posting.

I got the same call from Jane

I also received a call from this "bureau", but they now have a new twist to their scam.  They now want to send two representatives to your door to have you fill out a 1099 form for the money.  The person on the phone has the same heavy accent and tries to convince you that they are legitimate.  If you see the phone number on your caller ID or they tell you they are from the Federal Claims Bureau, HANG UP.  Ignore any further attempts they make to contact you.

I received same call but now the agency name is "Sweepstakes & Lottery Claims Bureau", same pitch but now is a $2850 (1%) of the supposed $285K check to be delivered tomorrow between 1-2pm....  HAH!  When has ANY govt agency been THAT punctual and precise?  Try NEVER!!!
BEWARE ALL!!!  Give no information!  They asked for my age which I refused and told them since they had done a background check on me (to prove I wasn't a terrorist), they knew my age.

yes it is a scam and covered on the Federal Trade Commission website - under consumer protection

Prize Offers: You Don’t Have to Pay to Play!
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/telemarketing/tel17.shtm


Prize Offers: You Don’t Have to Pay to Play!
Congratulations, it’s your lucky day! You’ve just won $5,000!
You’re guaranteed to win a fabulous diamond ring, luxury vacation or all-terrain vehicle!

If you receive a letter or phone call with a message like this, be skeptical. The $5,000 "prize" may cost you hundreds of dollars in taxes or service charges — and never arrive. Your "fabulous" prize may not be worth collecting. The diamond is likely to be the size of a pinhead. The "vacation" could be one night in a seedy motel, and the ATV, nothing more than a lounge chair on wheels!

Scam artists often use the promise of a valuable prize or award to entice consumers to send money, buy overpriced products or services, or contribute to bogus charities. People who fall for their ploys may end up paying far more than their "prizes" are worth, if they get a prize at all.

What these people are likely to get - especially if they signed up for a contest drawing at a public place or event — may be more than they bargained for: more promotions in the mail, more telemarketing calls and more unsolicited commercial email, or "spam." This is because many prize promoters sell the information they collect to advertisers.

Worse yet, contest entrants might subject themselves to a bogus prize promotion scam.

And The Winner Is...
Everyone loves to be a winner. A recent research poll showed that more than half of all American adults entered sweepstakes within the past year. Most of these contests were run by reputable marketers and non-profit organizations to promote their products and services. Some lucky winners received millions of dollars or valuable prizes.

Capitalizing on the popularity of these offers, some con artists disguise their schemes to look legitimate. And an alarming number of people take the bait. Every day, consumers throughout the United States lose thousands of dollars to unscrupulous prize promoters. During 1999 alone, the Federal Trade Commission received more than 10,000 complaints from consumers about gifts, sweepstakes and prize promotions. Many received telephone calls or postcards telling them they'd won a big prize - only to find out that to claim it, they had to buy something or pay as much as $10,000 in fees or other charges.

There's a big difference between legitimate sweepstakes and fraudulent ones. Prizes in legitimate contests are awarded solely by chance, and contestants don't have to pay a fee or buy something to enter or increase their odds of winning. In fraudulent schemes, however, "winners" almost always have to dip into their pockets to enter a contest or collect their "prize."

Skill Contests
There's one notable exception: skill contests. These are puzzles, games or other contests in which prizes are awarded based on skill, knowledge or talent - not on chance. Contestants might be required to write a jingle, solve a puzzle or answer questions correctly to win.

Unlike sweepstakes, skill contests may legally require contestants to buy something or make a payment or donation to enter.

It's important to recognize that many consumers are deceptively lured into playing skill contests by easy initial questions or puzzles. Once they've sent their money and become "hooked," the questions get harder and the entry fees get steeper. Entrants in these contests rarely receive anything for their money and effort.

Consumer Protections
Several consumer laws help protect consumers against fraudulent sweepstakes and prize offers promoted through the mail or by phone.

Telephone Solicitations
Telemarketers frequently use sweepstakes and prize contests to sell magazines or other goods and services. These telemarketers make an initial contact with consumers through "cold calls," or take calls from consumers who are responding to a solicitation they received by mail.

The Telemarketing Sales Rule helps protect consumers from fraudulent telemarketers who use prize promotions as a lure. In every telemarketing call involving a prize promotion, the law requires telemarketers to tell you:

the odds of winning a prize. If the odds can't be determined in advance, the promoter must tell you the factors used to calculate the odds.
that you don't have to pay a fee or buy something to win a prize or participate in the promotion.
if you ask, how to participate in the contest without buying or paying anything.
what you'll have to pay or the conditions you'll have to meet to receive or redeem a prize.
The Telemarketing Sales Rule prohibits telemarketers from misrepresenting any of these facts, as well as the nature or value of the prizes. It also requires telemarketers who call you to pitch a prize promotion to tell you before they describe the prize that you don't have to buy or pay anything to enter or win.

Written Solicitations
Many sweepstakes promotions arrive by mail as a letter or postcard that instructs the consumer to respond by return mail or phone to enter a contest or collect a prize.

The Deceptive Mail Prevention and Enforcement Act helps protect consumers against fraudulent sweepstakes promotions sent through the mail. The law prohibits:

claims that you're a winner unless you've actually won a prize.
requirements that you buy something to enter the contest or to receive future sweepstakes mailings.
the mailing of fake checks that don't clearly state that they are non-negotiable and have no cash value.
seals, names or terms that imply an affilia-tion with or endorsement by the federal government.
Skill Contests
Skill contests also are covered by the new Deceptive Mail Prevention and Enforcement Act. The law requires the sponsors to disclose in a clear and conspicuous way:

the terms, rules and conditions of the contest.
how many rounds of the contest you must achieve to win the grand prize.
the time frame for the winner to be determined.
the name of the contest's sponsor.
an address where you can reach the sponsor to request that your name be removed from the mailing list.
Just Say "No"
Another way to protect yourself is to request that your name be removed from mail and telephone solicitation lists.

The Telemarketing Sales Rule requires telemarketers to keep a "do not call" list of consumers who have asked not to be called again. Calling a consumer who has made this request is illegal and can subject the telemarketer to a hefty fine.

The Deceptive Mail Prevention and Enforcement Act requires companies that use direct mail to maintain a similar "do not mail" list for consumers who call or write and ask that their name be removed from the mailing list.

This new law gives caregivers the right to have the names of the friends and loved ones under their care removed from the mailing lists of undesirable solicitors.

Another way to reduce mail and telephone solicitations is to contact the Direct Marketing Association to request that your name be placed on its "do not call," "do not mail" and "do not email" lists. Association members agree not to solicit consumers who have requested that they not be contacted.

To have your name removed from direct mail marketing lists, write: Direct Marketing Association, Preference Service Manager, 1120 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10036-6700. To have your name removed from telemarketing lists, write: Direct Marketing Association, Preference Service Manager, 1120 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10036-6700. To "opt out" of receiving unsolicited commercial email, use the DMA's form at www.e-mps.org.


A Dozen Ways to Protect Yourself
The next time you get a "personal" letter or telephone call telling you "it’s your lucky day," the Federal Trade Commission encourages you to remember that:

Legitimate sweepstakes don’t require you to pay or buy something to enter or improve your chances of winning, or to pay "taxes" or "shipping and handling charges" to get your prize. If you have to pay to receive your "prize," it’s not a prize at all.


Sponsors of legitimate contests identify themselves prominently; fraudulent promoters are more likely to downplay their identities. Legitimate promoters also provide you with an address or toll-free phone numbers so you can ask that your name be removed from their mailing list.


Bona fide offers clearly disclose the terms and conditions of the promotion in plain English, including rules, entry procedures, and usually, the odds of winning.


It’s highly unlikely that you’ve won a "big" prize if your notification was mailed by bulk rate. Check the postmark on the envelope or postcard. Also be suspicious of telemarketers who say you’ve won a contest you can’t remember entering.


Fraudulent promoters might instruct you to send a check or money order by overnight delivery or courier to enter a contest or claim your "prize." This is a favorite ploy for con artists because it lets them take your money fast, before you realize you’ve been cheated.


Disreputable companies sometimes use a variation of an official or nationally recognized name to give you confidence in their offers. Don’t be deceived by these "look-alikes." It’s illegal for a promoter to misrepresent an affiliation with — or an endorsement by — a government agency or other well-known organization.


It’s important to read any written solicitation you receive carefully. Pay particularly close attention to the fine print. Remember the old adage that "the devil is in the details."


Agreeing to attend a sales meeting just to win an "expensive" prize is likely to subject you to a high-pressure sales pitch.


Signing up for a sweepstakes at a public location or event, through a publication or online might subject you to unscrupulous prize promotion tactics. You also might run the risk of having your personal information sold or shared with other marketers who later deluge you with offers and advertising.


Some contest promoters use a toll-free "800" number that directs you to dial a pay-per-call "900" number. Charges for calls to "900" numbers may be very high.


Disclosing your checking account or credit card account number over the phone in response to a sweepstakes promotion — or for any reason other than to buy the product or service being sold — is a sure-fire way to get scammed in the future.


Your local Better Business Bureau and your state or local consumer protection office can help you check out a sweepstakes promoter’s reputation. Be aware, however, that many questionable prize promotion companies don’t stay in one place long enough to establish a track record, and the absence of complaints doesn’t necessarily mean the offer is legitimate.



To File a Complaint
Consumers who believe they have been victimized by fraudulent promotional offers also should contact their local postmaster or the U.S. Postal Inspection Service by phone, toll-free, at: 1-888-877-7644; by email at: www.uspsoig.gov; or by mail at: U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Office of Inspector General, Operations Support Group, 222 S. Riverside Plaza, Suite 1250, Chicago, IL 60606-6100.

If you have a problem with a sweepstakes or prize promotion after participating, and you are unable to resolve the problem directly with the company, contact:

The Direct Marketing Association, ConsumerLine, 1111 19th Street, NW, Suite 1100, Washington, DC 20036-3603; phone 202-955-5030; fax 202-955-0085.
The Better Business Bureau where the company is located.
Call for Action, a network of radio and television station hotlines that offer resolution services for consumers. Call 301-657-7490 or write: Call for Action, 5272 River Road, Suite 300, Bethesda, MD 20816.
The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters consumer complaints into the Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure online database and investigative tool used by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

July 2000

Got a call from the same number for my husband. Said there was an unclaimed package. Sounded very fishy. Won't be calling back.

I received a phone message that a Sue Lumborg from the federal trade commission to call her during regular office hours.

They are trying it with me right now.. They wont stop calling me..

Hi - I got a call from a Stephanie Thomas - 516-203-4646 - said I won $400l,000 that a courier will be at my home on Friday between 10 and 2 PM then I got a call from a Andrew Mason Badge #USG8512 Border Patrol United States Customs - From Dallas Texas - he said my "'package" came in from Costa Rica unregistered and undeclared so they investigated but no and behold they check is REAL BUT I would have to pay $1% of the 400,000 which is $4,000 - I told him I would not pay a penny - his voice changed and he said I guess you are refusing the package - I said yes I am and hung up and then 10 minutes later Stephanie Thomas called back and tried to reel me in again - I told her this was a SCAM and that she should be ashamed of herself for doing this and I am not the fish they tried to get - BEWARE all of you -this was very clever and could have had me going but they did not - take care and be smart

Hi - I got a call from a Stephanie Thomas - 516-203-4646 - said I won $400l,000 that a courier will be at my home on Friday between 10 and 2 PM then I got a call from a Andrew Mason Badge #USG8512 Border Patrol United States Customs - From Dallas Texas - he said my "'package" came in from Costa Rica unregistered and undeclared so they investigated but no and behold they check is REAL BUT I would have to pay $1% of the 400,000 which is $4,000 - I told him I would not pay a penny - his voice changed and he said I guess you are refusing the package - I said yes I am and hung up and then 10 minutes later Stephanie Thomas called back and tried to reel me in again - I told her this was a SCAM and that she should be ashamed of herself for doing this and I am not the fish they tried to get - BEWARE all of you -this was very clever and could have had me going but they did not - take care and be smart

Ms Stephanie Thomas called my mother yesterday telling her the same thing and my mother did verify her address.  She was told that it would be delivered today between 8:00am – 12:00pm.  I told her it was a scam, but since I did not know what she told them, I went over today at 8am.  Sure enough she gets a phone call at 11:00am from someone with the Border Patrol United States Customs and said exactly what they said to you.  After sometime, I just told him that “Let’s end this now, I’m her daughter and I’m on to this scam” He did ask if “than you don’t want the prize” before I hung up.  
His accent was so thick I could barely understand what he was saying, but it was obvious that he was readying a script.

Same scam tried on 2/1/12 using the names - STEPHANIE THOMAS, Publisher's Continental Sweepstakes, Ft. Washington, NY, (516) 203-4646 and ERIC BANKS, U.S. Customs, Miami, FL, (305) 390-2855.  Slight twist in that 1% of $400,000 ($4,000) would be due, but half has been paid, so the "fee" is now $2,000.  If you decide to reject the winnings, it will be donated to some college fund.  It was rejected being that it is a scam.  Guess you can now take it as a charitable gift tax deduction (not).

OMG the exact same thing just happened to my mother! She's entered Publishing Clearing House for years and when the call came, by the way the lady spoke, (somebody Gonzales) it seemed so real we thought this could actually be true.  Then, the next day the promised letter (check) did not arrive, but a call from some border control guy in Miami did come, and told her she had to pay $2000 for insurance before the check could be issued. She said no thanks and he got really upset and angry with her.  I'm extremely proud of my mom  (85 years old) that she did not allow herself to be a victim of this disgusting scam.  I hope no one would actually fall for this!  I think they prey on the elderly.  If it's a real win, No One will require any money up front!

Andrew Mason is the founder of a website called groupon  deals w/ store coupons and such   He's not a border guard from any country THIS IS A SCAM ---BIGTIME!!!

Same scam different names, you've won $400,000.-   - SUSAN SMITH -calling for Continental Publishers Sweepstakes (202) 808-3688, and DAVID RODRIGUEZ (516) 394-5519, of 382 Channel Drive, Port Washington, NY, supposedly with the FTC, holding the moneys in a safe location, verified funds etc thru the FDIC, call back from Special Agent ADAM JONES (Badge #USG85176), no agency given, if you want the prize you need to pay 49% of the fee to Costa Rica'n Customs, with the rest of the $4000.- fee being payed by the kind folks at Continental Publishing...you need to decide if you want to donate funds to United Negro College Fund of New Orleans or pay the $1960.- remaining fees
PS: Federal Bureau of Investigations IS aware of the scam, but because it is based off-shore will not even take a report on it

Publishers Continental Sweepstakes just called! They said that we had two days to claim a prize of $685k! They were going to send two representatives to the house to deliver the check! A supposed government offical from Washington! BEWARE!

I got the same call today first it was from Dave Roderiguez with the phone number 718-412-1195 stating that I would be receiving my prize between 8:00a.m. - 2:00 p.m. today. But instead of my packeage coming I get a phone call from a lady stating that she was with U.S. Marshal and her name was Marshal Jenny Brown and she also had a badget number and her phone number was 972-638-8239. Told me I had won 400,000 and the 1% tax had been paid and that they would get me a grant 1,096 to cover the other fees and all I had to do is pay 560.00 show my signature and my package would be release to me by 6:00p.m. today and of course once I told them I do not have the money they became rude and said that they will be sending it back. Please watch out tey are getting very clever and making things sound so good.

just got a call from continental sweepstakes and said that I won $525,000 but they want me to send them $1,315for insurance ! have they called anyone else.......!!!???????

i got a phone call also and i looked up all the phone #'s and names and addresses and they were ligit. they also said i have 72 hours to claim it. so i'm going in the morning and claim my reward!!!!!!!so next time anybody else gets the phone call take the challenge and get on your computer and start looking up stuff for yourselves!!!!!!!!!!!!!