HJ Heinz has warned consumers that its name is being used in a lottery scam being run by a front company called the Metropolitan Lottery Commission.
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The Metropolitan Lottery Commission is contacting unwitting consumers and presenting them with a fake Heinz check. In order to claim the prize, consumers are asked to send US$2,860 to cover so-called clearance fees for the fictitious lottery winnings.
Heinz has warned consumers not to send the fee to an agency of the Metropolitan Lottery Commission at a Nova Scotia address. The company said that the fake check illegally uses the Heinz name and trademarks. The fake check is not legally valid and should not be deposited.
“Heinz is shocked and disappointed by this scheme. Heinz reported the fraud today (20 November) to the US Attorney General’s Office in Pittsburgh and is encouraging anyone who receives such a letter to contact their local authority,” the company said in a statement yesterday.
