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Valpack is putting $100 checks inside its envelopes for 2018. Here are your odds of winning
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The company Valpack wants you to know that $100 could be waiting for you inside your mailbox, according to a press release. - photo by Herb Scribner
Be careful not to toss out that "junk mail" the next time it lands in your mailbox. The company Valpack wants you to know that $100 could be waiting for you inside that envelope crammed with coupons, according to a press release.

To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the company has stuffed $100 checks into random Valpak envelopes that are being distributed throughout the entire year in all 150 markets that mail out Valpak.

The checks are made out to cash and there are no strings attached. The company won't even ask for any personal information in order to cash the check.

Lia Jensen, the owner of a Valpak location in West Michigan, told Fox 17 that the company sends out these checks to thank its customers.

Its just an extra way for people to maybe get a free dinner," said Jensen. "We have a lot of great advertisers in our envelope, and if you find an extra $100, maybe you can use that at one of our advertisers.

And there is another motive behind the checks. The company wants you to open up that envelope and sort through the coupons to local restaurants and stores, USA Today reported.

Valpak has been sending out similar checks since 1988 in select markets. This is the first year that company has distributed the cash to all of its markets, though.

According to Valpak's website, the company distributes in 45 states, including Utah, and four Canadian provinces. The company is based out of St. Petersburg, Florida, with 160 local franchises.

Since the promotion began in January, you may have unknowingly tossed the cash. But you are not alone.

Jensen, in Michigan, is in one of those select markets that sent out checks last year. She said only eight of the 36 checks were cashed.

She said the odds of finding a check is one in 50,000.
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New Medicare cards are in the mail and scammers are on the prowl
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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has begun mailing new Medicare Health Insurance ID cards. The program no longer uses Social Security numbers to identify people. - photo by Lois M Collins
The federal government is beginning to send out new ID cards to the 58 million Americans who benefit from Medicare. But since many of the people who will receive them don't know they're coming or why, scammers are already gearing up to take advantage.

An AARP survey shows as many as three-fourths of Americans 65 and older have no idea the cards are coming, so some individuals may be duped with claims that they're supposed to pay a fee or provide personal information that will be used, instead, to defraud them.

The new cards are the first reissue in years, and the most striking part of the redesign is that the cards no longer carry the beneficiary's Social Security number. Congress mandated the removal of that number as an identifier for Medicare beneficiaries by next April. Instead, the card has a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier number, an 11-digit combination of numbers and letters.

The new Medicare cards are now being mailed out in batches, starting with the Eastern seaboard and moving west. Most Medicare beneficiaries will receive their cards over the next six months, as long as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has their correct mailing address. Once the cards are in hand, people can share the new identification number with their health care providers. During a transition period, either card is valid.

The old cards, which used Social Security numbers as the personal identification number, should be destroyed.

AARP recently launched an education campaign to warn consumers about scams related to the new Medicare cards.

The membership organization's "Fraud Watch" consultant, Frank Abagnale reformed con man, scammer and the subject of the movie and book "Catch Me If You Can" tells senior citizens the only time they need to carry the actual Medicare card is to health care appointments. Otherwise, it should be left in a safe place. If they want to carry one in their wallet or purse, he says, make a copy and black out the first seven numbers.

Since the cards were announced, scammers have already:

  • Called seniors and asked for their bank account information so that money on their old card could be returned. There is no money on the old card and CMS never asks for personal information over the phone.
  • Offered to send the new card after Medicare beneficiaries pay a $25 fee to cover expenses related to the card. The card is free.
  • Said the card will be mailed out as soon as the older person verifies his or her Social Security number, mailing address and other personal information. CMS already knows the beneficiary's Social Security number and it's no longer being used in conjunction with health care.
AARP and the Federal Trade Commission will hold a free online seminar about the cards and the fraud attempts they have spawned on Thursday, April 19, at 7 p.m. EDT. Register at: www.aarp.org/FraudWebinar. CMS also offers a "frequently asked questions" guide to the new cards.

The AARP Fraud Watch Network says consumers can sign up for its Watchdog Alert emails that deliver breaking scam information, or call a free helpline at 877-908-3360 to speak with volunteers trained in fraud counseling. Abagnale also hosts a weekly podcast for AARP, called The Perfect Scam.
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