False prize checks from Canada flooding county

County residents including people in Scotts Valley and the San Lorenzo Valley are being flooded with phony prize notices that claim to be from Pepsi and Reader’s Digest announced the Santa Cruz District Attorney’s office on Tuesday.
“I have received probably ten calls (since last week),” Robin Gysin the Consumer Affairs Coordinator for the DA’s office said. “That’s a lot from our part for this type of mailing.”
The letters are being sent from Canada and include a counterfeit check usually for $5,400.
The letterhead contains what appear to be both Reader’s Digest and Pepsi logos which are actually imitations that look similar to the real logos.
The personalized letter announces that the recipient has won $1,000,000 and asks them to call an 866 number to collect the prize.
The “winner” is then instructed to deposit the check and wire transfer more than $5,000 to cover the supposed expenses to receive the $1,000,000 prize.
The check enclosed in the letter is counterfeit and the “winner” will lose the $5,000 if they send the wire transfer.
The consumer affairs office warns never to send money in anticipation of receiving a prize, never send money by wire transfer to a stranger and to beware of prize notices that arrive by e-mail.
Contact the consumer affairs office at 454-2050 to report a scam.