| Date -18 Dec 2007 | Return to previous page |
Moray Council’s trading standards section has issued a warning after an elderly couple were deceived into handing over £1,900 after being told they had scooped a fortune on the Spanish lottery.
The couple received a letter purporting to be from the Spanish Lottery Award Board in Madrid claiming they had won 925,000 euros and were later contacted by telephone before making a payment via bank transfer.
They only became suspicious when they received another call requesting an additional payment.
A call to trading standards officers confirmed they had been the victims of a scam.The council’s trading standards manager, Peter Adamson, said: “This is a particularly nasty example of the many scams currently circulating.
“Tackling these scams is a priority for trading standards and the Office of Fair Trading who have set up a dedicated Scambusters investigation team. They would like to hear from anyone who receives suspicious letters, e-mails or phone calls.”
The scam to which the couple fell victim starts with a letter or e-mail claiming the consumer has won the Spanish lottery.
The victim is asked to provide personal details, including bank account information, to claim their winnings and to contact an agent or awards department.
Once the ‘transfer process’ begins the victim is informed of various delays in making payment and is invariably asked for additional administration costs to facilitate collecting their winnings.
The victim is asked to send money by bank transfer to individuals claiming to be lawyers or bank executives.
Those behind the scam will go to great lengths to gain a victim’s trust and to get them to reveal their personal and financial details. They are experts in convincing victims, many of whom are elderly or vulnerable, that they are legitimate.
To avoid becoming a scam-mailing victim, remember these points: