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October 31, 2007

Ocean State Job Lot warns of scam

A scam, apparently run out of Canada and involving a fraudulent $40,000-per-check-cashing scheme, illegally used Ocean Job Lot's name to randomly target people around the United States, the company announced today.

"Our company’s name has been used illegally and without our knowledge in this financial scam. When this surfaced, Job Lot immediately reported the phony giveaway to the United States Postal Investigation Service, the [Federal Bureau of Investigation] and other law enforcement agencies," Ocean State Job Lot said in a news release.

Canadian authorities are also investigating.

People began getting letters about a week ago from a company describing itself as Boyer Financial, Inc. of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. With each letter was a fraudulent check for about $3,850. The checks appeared as though they had been issued by by Ocean State Jobbers, Inc., parent company of Ocean State Job Lot.

People who got the letters were told they would receive “a grant” -- free money totaling $40,000 from the federal government if they simply cashed the enclosed check, faxed information back to the sender and called the “grant advisor." The remainder of the $40,000 would then be sent to the person.

But the checks were worthless, Ocean State Job Lot said today.

Job Lot and to local law enforcement agencies in Rhode Island, Maine, California, Wisconsin, Ohio, and New Hampshire are aware of 33 scam letters brought to their attention.

The scam's intention was not clear, but "it may be an attempt to get personal information on the targeted individual, ultimately resulting in identity theft; or it may be a scheme to use the personal information to loot the recipient’s bank account," Ocean State Job Lot said.

Ocean State Job Lot is "outraged that residents of these states, and perhaps others, have been targeted as potential victims. We are equally outraged that our company and our good corporate name have been used in this shameful attempt to swindle unsuspecting consumers."

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney  at 2:50 PM | Permalink

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Tom | October 31, 2007 3:18 PM link

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