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Residents Fight Back Against Lottery Scam Letters

Last Updated: Friday 11th September 2015, 09:44

People across the UK have been reminded to watch out for lottery scams after residents from various parts of the country received letters telling them they had won thousands of pounds. John Niblett from Walsall is one of those people to have been targeted by the letter, which told him he had won £825,000 on the People’s Postcode Lottery.

Including a London address, fake postcode and fake charity reference number, the letter informed Niblett that he had won as part of the Award International Program held in Spain. He admitted it looked very convincing but was just a scam urging recipients to hand over money. Niblett, who used to worked for West Midlands Police, told the Express and Star: “When you ring the number, they say there is a fee due, I've known some even send out cheques, but of course they bounce. Some scams go on to tell you there has been an admin delay and then ask for more money, it could be thousands.”

Residents in Avon, Somerset and Devon have also received copies of a scam letter supposedly from the People’s Postcode Lottery, while Carol and Gordon McKellar of Whaley Bridge in Derbyshire were also sent one. The letter said they would be charged one percent of their winnings but Carol was not taken in. She told the Buxton Advertiser: “It was all very believable apart from one sentence which says you must keep this information away from the public - that made me think something is not right about this.”

You can find out more information about how to identify lottery scams, the different types of scam and where you can find help in the Lottery Scams page. It is important to remember that it is not possible to win a prize if you have not entered the game, and to make sure you report any scam attempt. A spokesman for the People’s Postcode Lottery said this week: “Legitimate lotteries, such as People’s Postcode Lottery, will not under any circumstances request a payment in order to receive your winnings.”

Tickets for every People’s Postcode Lottery game are based on - not surprisingly - your postcode, and there are daily prizes up for grabs if you have entered. There are also special weekly and monthly draws, and the Postcode Millions game at the end of August was won by players in the Scottish town of Grangemouth. If you play the People’s Postcode Lottery, there is a Saturday Street Prize draw to look forward to tomorrow, when every winning ticket will be worth £25,000. Remember, you can’t win if you haven’t entered so if you do receive a scam letter then take heed of the advice from vigilant residents such as John Niblett and the McKellars who fought back by alerting others.

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