£1m lottery scam warning

Saturday, November 11, 2006 posted 05:57 AM EST

A MOLD woman has been targeted in a £1m lottery scam.

The victim received a spoof e-mail telling her she had been selected from 21,000 recipients for the payout.

The woman, who did not want to be named, said: 'I immediately realised it was a hoax, but what was sinister was the sender asked for my personal details.

'I expect if I had replied I would then have been asked for my bank details.

'The e-mail has the National Lottery logo on the top, and some people may be taken in by the scam and could lose a lot of money if they provide banking information. I just want people to be aware of this scam.'

Camelot, which runs the National Lottery, said the public should always be on their guard against fraudsters circulating spoof e-mails about big lottery wins.

A spokesman said: 'To be eligible to win a prize on the UK National Lottery players must have placed an initial stake, either at a retailer or have registered to play at www.nationallottery.co.uk.

'Additionally, Camelot has strict procedures, as agreed with our regulator the National Lottery Commission, for informing players by e-mail who have won a prize on the UK National Lottery through playing via the new media channels.

'We are aware there are many organisations that attempt to obtain payment or personal details electronically from people under a variety of pretexts.

'The National Lottery and, indeed, other lotteries are sometimes falsely used as part of these scams.

' We believe some of these organisations are based overseas, often targeting people resident abroad.

'If any individual believes they are a victim of crime they should contact their local police.

'Our own website www.national-lottery.co.uk provides security advice in respect of lottery 'scams'. george.tattum@cheshirenews.co.uk

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