Jerry Wallace received a check in the mail recently — not an ordinary check, mind you,but one for $4,325.65 with a letter saying it was payment from a lump sum of $250,780 that he had won.

It all looked legitimate. It was first-class mail hand delivered by the postman, although there was no postmark on the Canadian stamp.

“I really thought I might have something here,” Wallace, of Lester, said this week. “I didn’t remember entering any contests or lotteries or anything like that. It just sounded too good to be true.”

And it was.

Wallace, a retired Browns Ferry worker, took the check to his credit union where banking officials determined the check was no good.

“It sure would have been nice, but I’m sure glad I didn’t cash it,” the 67-year-old said.

“They tell me it was all a fraud.”

The letter from Northern Trust Inc. (Funds Disbursement Agency) was dated July 19 and came with a message saying the sender had been instructed by the Gambling Corporation to inform Wallace of the release of his “unclaimed prize money” held since March 7, 2005.

It said, “Your name attached to ticket number 047-7955-971 with serial number 6237-09 drew the lucky number of 13-27-31-47-53-64, which consequently won the jackpot.

“You have been approved for the lump sum payment of $250,780 in cash. This is from a total cash prize of $5,468,880 shared among 17 lucky winners in this category.”

The letter offered congratulations and added that his funds were now deposited and insured in his name.

But then something raised a red flag for Wallace.

While enclosing the $4,325 check, which supposedly was deducted from his winnings to assist in the processing fee for administrative and insurance costs, they asked him to send $3,600 for a “processing fee.” The letter said that upon receipt of the check a final payment in the amount of $194,000 would be issued within 48 hours with federal taxes and surcharges deducted.

Wallace said he decided to go public with his story because he feared someone might fall for it.

“I just knew it was too good to be true,” he added.