Phone and mail-sweepstakes scam in CT

After a mail-sweepstakes scam story aired on News Channel 8, Tuesday, a woman contacted us to warn about a similar scam that could be just a phone call away.

[Pharmoney Trust INC]

Something similar just arrived in the mail the other day to me, I have searched online to see if anyone has reported it as a fraud. A london based company has sent a letter stating you have won $250,000 US and that purchaseing things through walmart or home depo had entered me in this sweepstakes. They said they would be sending a certifed check or you can give them your bank account to deposit it. Also that you will have to pay the taxes in London and they will send you the rest of the check!

[what]

Pharmoney Trust INC wrote:

Something similar just arrived in the mail the other day to me, I have searched online to see if anyone has reported it as a fraud. A london based company has sent a letter stating you have won $250,000 US and that purchaseing things through walmart or home depo had entered me in this sweepstakes. They said they would be sending a certifed check or you can give them your bank account to deposit it. Also that you will have to pay the taxes in London and they will send you the rest of the check!

You didn't do it, did you?

[JEH aka JJ]

Pharmoney Trust INC wrote:

Something similar just arrived in the mail the other day to me, I have searched online to see if anyone has reported it as a fraud. A london based company has sent a letter stating you have won $250,000 US and that purchaseing things through walmart or home depo had entered me in this sweepstakes. They said they would be sending a certifed check or you can give them your bank account to deposit it. Also that you will have to pay the taxes in London and they will send you the rest of the check!

Don't even think about falling for it. Why would you have to pay the taxes in London? They just want your checking account number, then if you gave it to them, the next time you need to write a check.....BOUNCY...BOUNCY!!

[Jim]

2/26/09
Just received a letter about the same.
Checked inet and saw the same rip-off under Harmony Financial Trust Inc. Must be getting flak and changed the name slightly to avoid computer ID.

Should report to postal autoraties as the U S mail is being used to perpetrate a fraud.

[Cali]

Got a letter from these jokers today! I had to laugh out loud when it said because of "security protocol" I was advised to keep my winning information confidential!
I'm not falling for it!

[Jenni]

We just got a letter today from Pharmoney Trust Inc. in London telling us it was our final notification on the $250,000 we had won. Thanks for the info. I did not even call on this.

[Jenni]

Today we received a letter from London, with no return address.
When we opened it, the letter was RE: Final Notification telling us we had won $250.00 on Oct. 22, 2008.
When I typed in "Pharmoney Trust Inc. this is what I found. Thanks for the heads up. I will not even waste the money on a call to London.

[marcello ny]

hey do these clowns really get morons to fall for this shitty scam for a good laugh do what i did, buy a phone card and call these nitwits sound like you are exited ask a million questions then give them phoney ss # and bogus bank acct #'s as a kicker when they ask for your # give them the # of either your police, district attny. or the FBI but you go0t to sound very exited and ask stupid questions over and over drive these slimes crazy

[Dwain RI]

My wife received the same letter and she called them . They said she would receive another letter in the mail in ten days and then she would be contacted by phone. She did n't give out any info and she used her cell to call them. Is there anythink else I should know about this scam? Thanks

[N- NYC]

I have receieved a letter of some winnings also. 250.00 to be exact. I thought to see if I could find out any info on it. Finding this site about Scams.

[valkyrie35]

Anyone who gets scammed deserves it.

[Gay foamer]

There are a lot of stupid, greedy people out there that fall for this routine. As the saying goes, if it's too good to be true....

[jfran]

if u get phone call say "go to hell "and hang up. if you get mail rip it off.if u get scammed ypu are a fishhead

[Rob]

jfran wrote:

if u get phone call say "go to hell "and hang up. if you get mail rip it off.if u get scammed ypu are a fishhead

Ya i got one also from peter marsh/sara hamilton,won 250,000,ya right got 14 days to claim

[Jim in VT]

Adressed To me but Title in Letter Is Dear Sir/Madam. If it is adressed to me why not to me instead of Dear Sir/Madam. Scam if I ever saw one

[Ken in CT]

It was nice to read how others did not fall for this scam. What a sad thing to do to innocent people. I will pass the word along....

[bcp]

i just got the same letter from pharmoney trust in london...my husband and i had a good laugh. of course i didn't make the call and for curiousity ran to my computer to look up the name and found many more people who got the same letter. what a terrible thing to do to people, especially poor , elderly or just plain gullible poeople who could be taken in by such drivel.

[bca]

we rec'd this letter also. I googled the address but there was no "Pharmoney Trust" listed. Glad to have found this site about the same letter. I wondered the same as "Jim in VT".

[JBW in MD]

I got the Pharmoney Trust letter too. All I can add to the discussion is, if you drop "arm" from "Pharmoney" you get "Phoney" which this scam surely is.

[mazda]

I just recieved my mail and found the same thing. Stating i have won 250,000.00 I'm glad i checked it out on the computer first.No way is anyone getting my account #.