Warning over scam lottery letters
Scammers have been targeting people with fraudulent letters in Birmingham.
West Midlands Police has had reports of a letter claiming people have won an online lottery linked to the 2022 World Cup.
The letter has been sent to a number of homes in Birmingham and has previously been reported in Crewe, Lincolnshire and Teesside.
It claims the lottery is promoted by a range of international lotteries and banks to promote the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and the 2030 Olympic Games in Tokyo − and asks people to keep the fact they have won quiet to prevent fraud.
But there is no prize and once they get in touch they will be asked to supply copies of their passport which can be used to steal their identities.
The fraudsters will ask them to pay various fees e.g. taxes, legal fees, banking fees and so on, so that they can release the non-existent winnings.
They may ask for bank details to deposit the cash directly into an account but they can use this to clear accounts.
