Qatar World Cup 2022: Warnings over football lottery scams
Scammers are taking advantage of people’s interest in the football World Cup to get people to respond to lottery scam letters.
These mailshots falsely state that they are associated with the event, feature official logos, and solicit contributions from recipients in order to claim a “huge” cash prize. Such rewards never materialise.
According to National Trading Standards, major tournaments in the past had coincided with an uptick in letters.
The officers stated that they needed the public’s assistance in locating scams.
They are asking people to report any fraudulent mail they receive within the next month to trading standards.
“By building a fuller picture of the scams out there, we can stay a step ahead of the criminals,” said Louise Baxter, head of the National Trading Standards Scams Team.
“And as well as sending in their own scam mail, I’d encourage people to talk about Scamnesty with older friends and relatives. They are likely to be at the sharp end of the mailings so the intelligence they can provide is crucial.”
Scam mail can be sent free of charge to: NTSST, FREEPOST, MAIL MARSHALS.
