More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
A grandmother has been targeted twice by conmen who tried to trick her into thinking she'd won £750,000 on the People's Postcode Lottery.
Beryl Smith has received two fake letters from scammers asking her to send false personal details before picking up her "win".
After complaining to the lottery company, she was told she needed to alert Action Fraud.
But the perturbed pensioner believes it should be down to the firm to make people aware of the tricksters.
And she feels it should be responsible for tracking down the culprits who are known to prey on vulnerable people.
The 79 year-old first received a seemingly authentic notice at her Chatham home – using official branding – in November 2019.
She was initially elated and had already planned how she would be spending her windfall.
But when she showed it to a neighbour, they immediately suspected it was a scam.
The letter instructed her to contact a non-existent company and contained spelling mistakes.
The second letter dated August 20 arrived at her home in Boundary Road, also promising £370,000 winnings.
Apart from a different signature and name it was virtually the same as the first.
Beryl said: "I was lucky because it was spotted. But what if I'd not had somebody who immediately said it was fake?
"Some would think 'I've got the money and so I might as well spend it'. And then they'd find out too late that the money's not there.
"I don't think it's up to people like me to take it up with a fraud investigation department.
"This has obviously been going on for a long time and is still going on. It needs to be stopped."
People's Postcode Lottery (PPL) is a subscription lottery where players sign up to pay monthly in advance.
There are 10 draws each month with prizes every day.
If more than one resident has tickets in a winning postcode, all playing neighbours collect prizes.
The maximum amount which can be won by a single ticket is £500,000 or 10% of the total draw proceeds.
PPL spokesman Rosie Smith said: "In common with other high-profile organisations and businesses, criminals may seek to exploit our reputation by using our name in fraudulent communications.
"This is an issue which we take extremely seriously. We liaise closely with the relevant authorities, including the police.
“We also provide training to our staff aimed at raising awareness and helping to protect players from scams.
"Some would think 'I've got the money and so I might as well spend it'...And then they'd find out too late that the money's not there..."
"However, individuals are best placed to provide Action Fraud and the police with information relating to the details of the scam and the means of contact.
"Having done so, victims of fraud have the ability to track the progress of their report directly with the authorities.
"People’s Postcode Lottery will never ask for payment for you to receive your winnings. Any prize money will be paid directly into your bank account.
"We’d encourage people to report any such correspondence to Action Fraud – the national fraud and cybercrime reporting centre by visiting www.actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.
"The latest information on how to avoid scams and what to do is available on our website, by clicking here, and the customer experience team is always here to help. If in any doubt, please contact us." https://www.postcodelottery.co.uk/about-us/faq/avoiding-scams
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