H.J. Heinz Co. is warning consumers not to fall for a scam that looks like a Heinz promotion.
A group called the Metropolitan Lottery Commission has been mailing out checks with Heinz’s name and trademark, telling potential victims that they could deposit their “winnings” from Heinz once they sent a check for $2,860 in “clearance fees” to the “commission” at a Nova Scotia address.
Heinz discovered the scam last week when a handful of consumers who got the checks called to see if they were authentic. Heinz issued a warning to consumers, and reported the problem to the U.S. Attorney General’s office in Pittsburgh, where Heinz is based.
Heinz said it was “shocked and disappointed by this scheme,” and encouraged consumers who receive one of the letters to contact their local authorities.
The scam has had no impact on Heinz’s marketing plans, but “we’ll think through any future plans to be sure that our legitimate promotional offers are sufficiently clear to consumers,” said Heinz spokesperson Robin Teets.
“We’ll look at things with a closer eye,” he said.
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