HMSHOST ISSUES CONSUMER FRAUD ALERT – SWEEPSTAKES CHECK SCAM

HMSHost has learned that since the beginning of the year, consumers in at least seven states have received a prize notification letter from The American Sweepstakes Commission enclosing a counterfeit HMSHost check in the amount of $5,173.00. 

The checks are not issued by HMSHost and are completely fraudulent.  HMSHost has no involvement in any prize drawing, lottery or sweepstakes of any kind. 

The scam letter instructs recipients to deposit the check into their personal account after contacting a claims agent in order for the check to be activated (a name and phone number are provided).  Recipients are then instructed to go immediately to a local Wal-Mart or another money wire service to send a money gram totaling thousands of dollars to cover taxes and other related fees in order to win a bigger prize of one million dollars. 

HMSHost has reported this scam to appropriate law enforcement agencies in the United States and Canada.  If you have received a letter from The American Sweepstakes Commission with a counterfeit HMSHost check, please send the originals to the following address:

HMSHost Corporation
ATTN:  LOSS PREVENTION
6905 Rockledge Drive
Bethesda, MD 20817

Consumers should beware of unsolicited offers or drawings that require you to pay money in advance in order to claim a prize.  For more information, visit www.fakechecks.org.  Additional consumer protection information is available from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt167.shtm.