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.
