By Adam Armour
Itawamba County Times
FULTON – Last week, Fulton’s Raymond Schoenemann was surprised to find a check for $3,750 in his postbox.
To the eye, the check appeared legit, carrying none of the telltale signs of the kinds of similar promotional items distributed by car dealerships and financing businesses. There was no giant “void” stamped across the top of the check, no “this is not a real check” where the authorized signature normally goes. The check was made out to him and claimed to originate from JP Morgan Chase Bank of North America.
“It gave me pause, because it looked like a real check,” Schoenemann said. “But if I thought for a minute that it was genuine, I would have cashed that thing in a heartbeat.”
The check is part of a scam that’s been making its way around the county off-and-on for several years.
According to the semiprofessional letter that accompanies it, the check is meant to help pay for a processing fee on a $250,000 sweepstakes prize the recipient has won. The recipient is instructed to deposit the check and then send $3,400 to an address denoted on the letter. After a few weeks, a courier will deliver $250,000 to their doorstep.
The check isn’t any good. Photocopying it reveals, hidden in the color scheme, the word “void” stamped across its face. It’s not visible at all to the naked eye, even when held in front of a light source.
If Schoenemann had been gullible, he would have been out $3,400.
adam.armour@journalinc.com