JB Lotteries, MCC Construction Corporation, & The Manchester Register

What could JB Lotteries, MCC Construction Corporation, and the Manchester Register all have in common? A scam, it would seem. I received a letter in the mail yesterday shipped 2-day FedEx Express from one Aimee Bird with JB Lotteries in NewYork. The envelope is accurate, the material inside is convincing. It also comes with a check enclosed for $4,822.59. The idea of the message is that I have won some money in a lottery and this is the first payment from the lottery. To receive the rest of the money, I need to contact JB Lotteries’ attorney to pay a 4% EU regulatory tax on the winnings. Not suprisingly, the mailing address at the bottom of the letter is somehwere in Manchester, UK. The address is actually an address for the Manchester Registrar, a company dealing with funeral preparations or something. I can’t be sure that there isn’t a 3rd floor as the address indicates, but my hunch can probably be resolved with a phone call to the Registrar. The phone number matches up until the prefix. The prefix seems out of the range for this part of Manchester, but I’m wondering where it connects. The website, www.jblotteries.com, points nowhere (registered, but just locked-in). Here’s the real problem. The check included with the packet seems real enough. It is written from the MCC Construction Corporation and has what looks like a valid check routing and account number on it. If it is valid, then MCC has got to be mighty pissed. I could cash this check and get some money from this construction company out of Colorado. The people that setup the scam must have had something to do with this company at some point recently to have such mal intent towards them. Let this be your warning, should you receive a similar package in the mail.

Here’s the letter’s transcription:

Dear Olaf Gradin,

On behalf of JB Lotteries, I would like to congratulate you on this wonderful occasion. At the drawing that took place on the 1st of September, 2005 you have been selected as our secondary prize winner. You are being awarded a prize in the amount of 94,000.00 US Dollars, a part of which is already included in the winner’s package that you have received.

Our international lottery is sponsored by several Internet websites, and is held for promotional purposes. As a customer of one of our sponsors you were automatically registered with our lottery.

Below are instructions on how to receive the rest of your winnings. Our lottery is officially registered in the European Union, therefore there are some formalities that must be completed before the final check can be drawn.

Enclosed in your winner’s package is a check in the amount of $4822.59. According to EU regulations, lottery winners from outside the European Union must pay a nominal tax of 4%. Unfortunately, due to current regulations, we cannot pay this tax for you from your winnings. You must pay the tax yourself in person or through a legal representative. To make it easier for our winners to claim their prizes, we work together with a local law firm which takes care of all the formalities and pays the tax for the winner.

Attached is an EU Tax ID application, which must be submitted to the EU authorities together with the tax payment. Our partner law firm, Joel Mann Attorney at Law, will file the application and deposit the tax payment on your behalf. Please fill and sign the attached form and fax it to 1-866-739-0162 as soon as possible. Thereafter you must contact our partner law firm by email at jbservice@joelmannlaw.com and follow their instructions.

This process normally takes 2-3 business days. Thereafter we will Fedex you your final check. Your personal Winner ID is 3442239213. You must fill in this number on your EU Tax ID application.

Best Regards,

Claims manager
Lindsey Jackson
JB Lotteries
lindsey.jackson@jblotteries.com

Letter head footer:
47 Lloyd Street, 3rd Floor, Manchester M2 5LE, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (161) 660-7198 – Fax: +44 (161) 660-7198
www.jblotteries.com

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