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Every day, people throughout the UK open their
post, turn on their computers or switch on their
mobile phones to find they've unexpectedly won
an exciting prize in a prize draw, lottery or
other form of promotion. While some of these
approaches are legitimate, some of them are
a dishonest attempt to trap you into parting
with your money.
Many common scams
take the form of prize draws or lotteries designed
to trick the unwary. Scams are usually based
outside the UK although they may use UK Post
Office boxes.
Typical scams
may:
• offer access to
a winning ticket or the prize in an overseas
draw or lottery, or membership of a lottery
syndicate, in return for an "administration"
or "registration" fee;
• require a purchase
of some kind to receive a "prize";
• offer "genuine,
multifaceted jewellery";
• suggest that there
are government funds available to claimed by
individuals;
• claim the recipient
is entitled to an inheritance from a long lost
friend or relative.
More often than not, there
is no prize or reward on offer. Anything that
is "won" is usually sub-standard,
overpriced or misleadingly described and worth
much less than the requested fee. (e.g. jewellery
offered is quite likely to be a microscopic
chip of industrial diamond of negligible value)
To avoid becoming
a scam mailing victim, remember these points:
• Ask yourself 'How
could I win a lottery prize if I haven't bought
a ticket?'
• Normally, if you
win something you don't have to pay anything
to receive your prize.
• Once you respond
to bogus promotions, your name and address is
likely to be placed on other lists for similar
scams.
• If asked to use
a premium rate telephone number, these can be
very expensive and may be part of the scam.
• Never reveal credit
card or bank account details unless absolutely
sure who you're dealing with. These details
may be asked for as 'identification'.
• Contact your local
Trading Standards Department or the Office of
Fair Trading if you think you suspect an unsolicited
mailing is a scam.
Typical warning
signs include:
• The approach,
whether in writing, by phone or email is unsolicited.
• There is a very
short time in which to respond to claim a prize.
• An invitation
to send a "processing" or "management"
fee or make a purchase or sign up to a service
to obtain a prize or reward.
• The need to use
premium rate phone lines.
• The source of
the promotion is based overseas.
• An invitation
to send money out of the country, particularly
the Netherlands or Canada.
• Prizes are expressed
in foreign currency.
• An invitation
to provide credit card or bank account details.
• Rewards are wholly
dependant on persuading others to join a scheme.
What to do if you're at
all unsure about a mailing, ask yourself:
• What am I being
asked to pay for?
• Can I really afford
to lose this money?
• Does the mailing
look too good to be true? If it does, it probably
is.
You can check if the source
of the mailing is a member of the Direct Marketing
Association (DMA) - look for the DMA's logo.
Members comply with a stringent code of practice.
Website: www.dma.org.uk/shared/whoweare.asp
If you decide the mailing
is suspect you can either:
• put the mailing
into your paper recycling bin or delete the
message.
• help the Office
of Fair Trading investigate such scams by sending
your suspect mailing or message to:
The European Enforcement
Team,
Office of Fair Trading
Fleetbank House
2- 6 Salisbury Square
London EC4Y 8JX
e-mail: euroteam@oft.gsi.gov.uk
Website: www.oft.gov.uk
• inform your local
Trading Standards Department about the scam.
You will find their number in the phone book
under 'local authority', or the Trading
Standards Central website includes a facility
enabling consumers to identify the Trading Standards
Department relevant to their postcode.
Office
of Fair Trading (OFT) warns consumers about
'Canadian lottery' scam.
The DTI's Consumer and
Competition Policy Directorate have a Fact
Sheet on Unsolicited Mail and Telephone Calls
The Department of Culture,
Media and Sport have a Fact
Sheet on Prize Draws and a Fact
Sheet on Scratch Cards
Editorials by the Advertising
Standards Authority (ASA) about prize draw promotions:
ASA Editorial: 'Beware
of promises of riches from abroad'
ASA Editorial: 'Who
Wants to be a Millionaire'
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