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OK, Is This a Scam?


jaxfactor
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I received an e-mail saying that I won one of 10 1st prizes in the NHL.com all star voting contest. Supposedly I have won an autographed game jersey(player name is random). They asked that I reply to the e-mail within 5 days to acknowledge receipt of the news. I did this. Now they had an attachment that had the information they wanted me to send to them at the NHL office at The Avenues Of America in NYC. It looks legit and there's even a phone # I can call(haven't tried the number as of yet). So I printed out the winner affidavit/declaration form and there's a slight problem. They want my social security number. Now why would they need this? I don't give my SS # to anyone, except where necessary. Everything looks legit. The official name of the contest is :

 

XM/NHL(nhl registered trademark) ALL-STAR FAN BALLOTING PRESENTED BY 2K SPORTS SWEEPSTAKES

 

Now I did vote numerous times on NHL.com.

 

Man, what do I do? Do I send my information to them or just try and call them first. If this is a scam they could just have a scam number set up also. They sent the form in pdf format as an attachment. I'd hate to miss out on winning something like this.

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National Hockey League

1251 Avenue of the Americas

47th Floor

New York, NY 10020

Phone: 212-789-2000

 

NHL Players' Association

777 Bay Street

Suite 2400

Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 2C8

Phone: 416-313-2300

 

Thanks! :wacko: The address that was given to me was:

 

National Hockey League

1185 Avenue Of The Americas

15th Floor

NY, NY 10036

phone: 212-789-2140

 

The lady also left her name and I did indeed call the number and asked her to call me back. Her answering machine confirmed her name. The fax number was 212-789-2000something also

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http://contests.about.com/od/conttestscams...information.htm

 

General info about sweepstakes scams above.

 

http://contests.about.com/od/sweepstakes10...FAQSSNumber.htm

 

Question: Why Do Sweepstakes Sponsors Need my Social Security Number?

 

When you win sweepstakes, you are often contacted by a sweepstakes sponsor and asked for additional information including your social security number. Why do sponsors need this information? Is this an attempt at identity theft, or is it legitimate?

 

Answer: Requesting a social security number is perfectly legitimate. By law, sweepstakes sponsors are required to report prizes awarded to U.S. residents to the IRS if the value is $600 or more. For tax purposes, the sponsors may also choose report prizes of lower values. In order to be sure that the win is being attributed to the right person, the sponsor needs to include your social security number on the forms that they send to the IRS.

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Answer: Requesting a social security number is perfectly legitimate. By law, sweepstakes sponsors are required to report prizes awarded to U.S. residents to the IRS if the value is $600 or more. For tax purposes, the sponsors may also choose report prizes of lower values. In order to be sure that the win is being attributed to the right person, the sponsor needs to include your social security number on the forms that they send to the IRS.

 

Pretty much exactly what I was thinking.

 

And I wouldn't let the non-matching addresses throw you off. They likely have several offices in an around the same area.

 

You entered the contest online, and they contacted you online via the email address you provided. I'd call the main NHL number and see if you can confirm the contact's name and the address in the email you received.

 

I may be naive, but IMO, sounds like a legit win!

Edited by i_am_the_swammi
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Pretty much exactly what I was thinking.

 

And I wouldn't let the non-matching addresses throw you off. They likely have several offices in an around the same area.

 

You entered the contest online, and they contacted you online via the email address you provided. I'd make the main NHL number and see if you can confirm the contact's name and the address in the email you received.

 

I may be naive, but IMO, sounds like a legit win!

+1 ... nice job, jax! Let us know who you get!

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Below is the press release I found from Detroit announcing the leading vote-getters back in November. See the bolded part below. Certainly seems to match-up with the content of your letter and the prize you (might) have won:

 

Link

 

NEW YORK – Detroit Red Wings teammates Nicklas Lidstrom and Henrik Zetterberg are the top vote-getters in the West in the XM / NHL All-Star Fan Balloting, Presented by 2K Sports. Red Wings captain Lidstrom leads the Western Conference with 158,349 votes while assistant captain Zetterberg is second with 115,543. In third for the second straight week is Calgary Flames defenseman Dion Phaneuf with 111,940 votes. More than 4.17 million votes have been cast in the all-digital voting program.

 

The voting will determine the starting lineups for the 2008 NHL All-Star Game, which will be played on Sunday, Jan. 27 in Atlanta (6 p.m. ET, VERSUS, CBC, RDS, NASN, NHL Radio). Fans can vote for six Eastern Conference All-Stars and six Western Conference All-Stars: three forwards, two defensemen and one goaltender for each team. If a player is not listed on the ballot, a space is provided for write-in votes. The three forwards, two defensemen and one goaltender from each Conference receiving the most votes will comprise the starting lineups. Each of the 30 NHL Clubs has at least two representatives on the ballot.

 

Leading all vote-getters among defensemen are Lidstrom and Phaneuf. The front-runners among forwards in votes are Zetterberg, Jarome Iginla (81,739) of the Calgary Flames and Pavel Datsyuk (79,590) of the Red Wings. Netminder Pascal Leclaire of the Columbus Blue Jackets is the top goaltender in votes with 76,665.

 

Through Jan. 2, fans around the world can go online at NHL.com to “Vote Now, Vote Often” for the Eastern and Western Conference All-Star starters for the 2008 NHL All-Star Game. U.S. fans also can cast votes through Verizon Wireless Mobile Web 2.0-enabled phones.

 

On NHL.com, the XM/NHL All-Star Fan Balloting, Presented by 2K Sports section features an interactive ballot, showcasing players with video clips, photos and virtual video game highlights created from in-game NHL® 2K8 footage. Residents of the United States and Canada who vote are able to register for a chance to win a variety of daily prizes, including XM XpressRC radios with three months of free service, 2K Sports games, autographed 2008 NHL All-Star spamshirts and shop.NHL.com gift certificates.

 

One grand-prize winner will receive a trip for two to attend the 2008 NHL All-Star Game as guests of XM. The winner will watch the game in a private suite with former NHL players. Additionally, each registered voter will automatically qualify to receive a 14-day free trial of XM Radio Online.

 

Verizon Wireless customers can vote and can register for the sweepstakes by voting using their Mobile Web 2.0-enabled phones. The process is simple: launch the Mobile Web browser, select Sports, select NHL Mobile and then select All-Star Balloting. To vote, follow the instructions on the screen.

 

The 2008 NHL All-Star Weekend in Atlanta will feature live national broadcasts of the Dodge/NHL SuperSkills event on Saturday, Jan. 26 and the NHL All-Star Game on Sunday, Jan. 27 on VERSUS in the United States and CBC and RDS in Canada. NASN and other international broadcasters will provide live coverage of both the Dodge/NHL SuperSkills event and the NHL All-Star Game to more than 115 countries and territories in Europe. NHL RADIO on Westwood One will provide exclusive, national radio coverage which can be heard on stations around the United States and Canada as well as on XM Satellite Radio's NHL Home Ice and NHL.com.

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Pretty much exactly what I was thinking.

 

And I wouldn't let the non-matching addresses throw you off. They likely have several offices in an around the same area.

 

You entered the contest online, and they contacted you online via the email address you provided. I'd call the main NHL number and see if you can confirm the contact's name and the address in the email you received.

 

I may be naive, but IMO, sounds like a legit win!

 

 

Agreed. Call the main number to confirm.

 

 

Did this and confirmed. The NHL.com office moved from the previous address to the present one that was given in my e-mail. I talked to the lady today on the phone and she told me that I wasn't the first to have concerns about giving mt SS#. She said that they still don't have the spamshirts, but are expecting them any day. I am confirmed so all I have to do is mail out the forms and in a couple weeks I should have my jersey. I made a little plug that I'm a Penguin fan and if Malkin's jersey is available if she could swing it that I get that one. She said she'd see what she could do. The estimated value of the jersey is $300, so no taxes for me involved. But having it signed could make it worth some nice change for a collector on eBay. :wacko:

I just went to the site to vote and filled out the contest form while I was in there. Wow! I've never won any contest before!

FWIW, I was actually going to go through with H8's suggestion, but after a little detective work and the conversation I had today, it's all good and legit. I'll let whoever is interested know what autographed jersey I got if I can find this thread again in a couple weeks.

 

Weird how a Manhattan address that's just a couple blocks away has a different zip code.

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Did this and confirmed. The NHL.com office moved from the previous address to the present one that was given in my e-mail. I talked to the lady today on the phone and she told me that I wasn't the first to have concerns about giving mt SS#. She said that they still don't have the spamshirts, but are expecting them any day. I am confirmed so all I have to do is mail out the forms and in a couple weeks I should have my jersey. I made a little plug that I'm a Penguin fan and if Malkin's jersey is available if she could swing it that I get that one. She said she'd see what she could do. The estimated value of the jersey is $300, so no taxes for me involved. But having it signed could make it worth some nice change for a collector on eBay. :D

I just went to the site to vote and filled out the contest form while I was in there. Wow! I've never won any contest before!

FWIW, I was actually going to go through with H8's suggestion, but after a little detective work and the conversation I had today, it's all good and legit. I'll let whoever is interested know what autographed jersey I got if I can find this thread again in a couple weeks.

 

Weird how a Manhattan address that's just a couple blocks away has a different zip code.

 

[Kreskin] I foresee a Riley Coate Flyers jersey in your future. [/Kreskin] :wacko:

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  • 2 weeks later...

A little good news hit the homefront today as my hockey jersey arrived. It has no number and is signed by ALL of the Eastern Conf. players. It is a real jersey though and looks cool as chit. . I can now finally say I won something other than a FF league.

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A little good news hit the homefront today as my hockey jersey arrived. It has no number and is signed by ALL of the Eastern Conf. players. It is a real jersey though and looks cool as chit. . I can now finally say I won something other than a FF league.

 

Uhh, and your 401(k) is now empty!

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