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This is not the Real Thing        

May 2008

West Dunbartonshire Council’s Trading Standards service is warning people not to be deceived by a letter they may receive telling them that they have been entered into the Spanish lottery and have won a huge sum of money in Euros. Similar lottery scams originate in Canada.

These overseas scammers say that in order to claim their prize, ‘winners' are asked to provide their bank account details and told that a percentage 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.

Councillor Craig McLaughlin, Spokesperson for the Corporate Services department, explains: “Our advice is not to reply to any of these letters. By responding you are letting scammer's know your real details and you are even more likely to be targeted for other similar scams because the names and addresses of people who respond are often sold on to other scammers so you will end up with even more junk mail.”

"There are some simple steps that people can take to protect themselves," said Advisory Officer Liz MacLean. "Firstly, ask yourself 'How could I win a lottery prize if I haven't bought a ticket?' This should immediately start the alarm bells ringing. These scammers will ask you for money at some point, or ask you to ring a premium rate phone number. Don’t be tempted to take part because you’ll simply end up out of pocket.”

"The problem for us as consumers is that these scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated, increasingly prevalent and they prey on our desires," said Liz. "Most of us would like to have more money, a better job or a dream home. But before we quit our jobs and head for the airport there are a few warning signs to watch out for.”

"Scammers will usually put pressure on you to respond, giving you little time to think things through or talk them over with friends. The approach will be unsolicited; it will typically involve a foreign country, either sending money to one or winning money from one. And it will nearly always involve an invitation for you to provide bank or credit card details. Typically they will ask for this as ‘identification' to allow you access to the prize but in reality they'll just be helping themselves to your money.”

If you want to report a scam please call Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06 or visit Trading Standards at the Council Offices in Clydebank. If you have lost money to a Spanish or Canadian lottery scam you should contact the Police.

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