Mediacom Communications on Tuesday issued a statement warning consumers of a mail-fraud scheme involving checks that appear to be drawn on a Mediacom bank account.
Although one version of the letter purports to be from "Mediacom Corp.," the cable operator said it is not connected in any way with the scheme. The checks are fraudulent and should not be deposited, according to Mediacom officials.
The fraudulent letters -- aimed at the general population, not the cable company's subscribers -- claim recipients have won prizes in one of several lotteries and the enclosed phony checks bearing Mediacom's name are to purportedly pay for taxes on the prize. The letters direct the recipients to call a claims agent, who will then advise the recipient to send payments for an amount less than that of the enclosed check via Western Union or comparable money order. Recipients are led to believe that they can keep the difference between the enclosed Mediacom check and the Western Union payment in addition to the promised prize money.
"Anyone who receives a letter along these lines that contains a check purportedly issued by Mediacom should destroy both," the MSO said in a statement. "Under no circumstances should recipients attempt to deposit the fraudulent checks, nor should they forward the funds requested. Members of the public or Mediacom customers who have been harmed by this scam should contact local law enforcement authorities."
Mediacom, the eighth-largest U.S. cable operator, has about 1.2 million basic video customers in more than 1,500 communities in 23 states.
