Area alert on scam

To the editor:
    On September 9, 2008, a Houlton resident reported to the police department that she had received a letter from the Arista Financial Group, Inc. out of Toronto Canada informing her that she had won $40,000 (U.S.).  Conveniently included with the notification letter was a check made out to the resident in the amount of $3,950.75. The check was drawn from a Tim Hortons USA Inc account out of the Huntington National Bank in Westerville, Ohio. In the notification letter, the resident was informed that in order to claim her prize, she must send them $2,950.00 (U.S.). The $2,950 would pay for any applicable government taxes on the $40,000 winnings. The expectation is that the victim would deposit the full amount of the Tim Hortons check into their account and send the Arista Financial Group, either by a Money Gram or Western Union, the $2,950.
    Doing a little creative investigative work on her own, the resident contacted Tim Hortons in Ohio. A company representative informed her that the check she received was stolen.
    Had the resident deposited the $3,950 check, not waited for the check to clear the bank and sent Arista Financial Group the amount they requested, she may have been held responsible the money and made to repay the bank for their loss.
    Houlton and surrounding residents need to stay alert when receiving these offers. If they sound too good to be true, then they probably are. Never say that it cannot happen to you because it can.
Contact the Houlton Police Department if you receive a suspicious telephone call or letter requesting money.
Butch Asselin
Houlton Chief of Police