Lots of people enjoy a little flutter, either with betting on horses or football or other sporting events, buying lottery tickets for good causes, or having a go on name cards in local community places.
Fraudsters, however, have methods of trying to draw the unwary into their net, for big prize draws that either don’t pay out, dangle a small win to entice you to bet larger amounts, or just take your money on a long term basis , with you thinking you are getting closer to the HUGE guaranteed prize.
OFTEN, THOSE CHOSEN TO BE TARGETTED ARE ELDERLY, LIVING ALONE, OR HAVE SOME FORM OF VULNERABILITY THAT STOPS THEM FROM SEEING THROUGH THE SCAM.
DO YOU HAVE ANYONE IN YOUR FAMILY OR CLOSE FRIENDS THAT FALL INTO THIS CATEGORY?
When visiting them, is there excessive amounts of junk type mail around their house? Can you see any opened envelopes with prize draw promises shown? Have they told you they are going to be in for a win, or expecting funds to come in any time soon? These are all quick giveaways that a scammer is on the prowl!
Clues to listen out for – I have won a prize in XYZ draw ! – Did you actually enter this draw?
I have been selected to win big if I act NOW – Does the prize draw exist and is it registered with the Gaming Commission, with no complaints received?
Send “X” pounds to register onto this prize draw site – most companies do not require registration payments in advance.
Questions to ask – have you started paying any monthly standing orders or direct debits to prize sites? or.. has anyone asked you to start sending regular payments in any format, either small or large amounts?
Is anyone pleading for large cash amounts for patient treatments with entry into a prize draw as a chance to win back your funds donated – just one lucky winner !!!
Has your friend or relative got to pay a fee to receive a prize, albeit for postage costs etc? Does any literature say guaranteed winner, with a list of prize levels, dependent on money sent to them ?
Once these people have hold of bank account details, it could easily transfer to identity fraud – never reveal passwords, or pin numbers, or bank card security numbers, to any unknown sender of prize draw information.
Be safe, be alert and protect anyone liable to fall prey of these fraudsters.