Foreign lotteries
These are emails boasting enticing odds in foreign lotteries. You may even get a message claiming you've already won! You just have to pay to get your prize or collect your winnings.
Every day, people throughout the UK open their post, receive a telephone call, turn on their computers or switch on their mobile phones to find they have unexpectedly won an exciting prize in a prize draw, lottery, sweepstake or other form of promotion. While some of these approaches are legitimate, others are a dishonest attempt to trap you into parting with your money.
Many common scams take the form of prize draws or lotteries designed to trick the unwary. Scams are usually based outside the UK, although they may use UK Post Office or mail boxes.
Typical scams may:
- Offer access to a winning ticket or the prize in an overseas draw or lottery, or membership of a lottery syndicate, in return for an 'administration' or 'registration' fee
- Require a purchase of some kind to receive a 'prize'
- Suggest that there are government funds available to be claimed by individuals.
More often than not, there is no prize or reward on offer. Anything that is 'won' is usually sub-standard, overpriced or misleadingly described and worth much less than the requested fee.
To avoid becoming a scam lottery victim, remember these points:
- Ask yourself 'How could I win a lottery prize if I haven't bought a ticket?'
- Usually, if you win something you don't have to pay anything to receive your prize
- Once you respond to bogus promotions, your name and address is likely to be placed on other lists for similar scams
- If asked to use a premium rate telephone number, remember these can be very expensive and may be part of the scam
- Never reveal credit card or bank account details unless absolutely sure who you're dealing with. These details may be asked for as 'identification'.
Typical warning signs include:
- The approach, whether in writing, by phone or by email, is unsolicited
- There is a very short time in which to respond to claim your prize or winnings
- An invitation to send a 'processing' or 'administration' fee to obtain a prize or reward
- The need to use premium rate phone lines
- The source of the promotion is based overseas
- An invitation to send money out of the country, particularly to the Netherlands or Canada, by money transfer
- Prizes are expressed in foreign currency
- An invitation to provide credit card or bank account details.
How to protect yourself:
- Remember that if you win something you shouldn't have to pay anything to receive your prize
- Do not enter sweepstake contests unless they are run by a company you know
Canadian lottery
Thousands of people in the UK have already received unsolicited phone calls and sent thousands of pounds to fraudulent lottery schemes operating out of Canada. People have lost up to £300,000 as they respond to more and more telephone calls demanding payments to cover costs in order to receive their winnings. The winnings don't exist, and they never receive anything in return for their cash.
Have you responded to an unsolicited phone call or letter telling you that you won a lottery? If so, you could be in danger of losing thousands of pounds.
If you have lost money, it's highly unlikely that you will get it back.
El Gordo lottery
The official operator of the Spanish El Gordo lottery, Loterias y Apuestas de Estado has issued a warning about fraudsters using the name El Gordo and forging documentation and bank forms to obtain money under false pretences.
Mailings and emails are being sent to UK consumers claiming they have won the Spanish lottery. In order to claim their 'prize', recipients are asked to provide their bank account details and told that 5-10 per cent of the winnings will be retained for costs. However the 'winners' are later contacted and asked for various fees in order to release their alleged prize, and they never receive a penny. Genuine Spanish lottery prizes are always free from taxes.
If you receive fraudulent El Gordo material you can help the investigations of Loterías y Apuestas de Estado by sending a copy to the following address:
Loterías y Apuestas del Estado
Legal Advice Service
C/ Guzmán el Bueno nº 137
28003 Madrid
Spain
Fax number: 00 34 91 533 51 36.
