Got a letter from the 'People's Postcode Lottery'? Here's why you should be on alert
A fake letter has been circulating in Sandwell asking for peoples bank details, trading standards officials have warned.
The letter, which claims to be from the People's Postcode Lottery, has been sent to residents across the borough saying they have won money.
The 'award notification' then goes on to request their bank details for them to receive their 'prize'.
Sandwell Trading Standards team say they were made of the con earlier this week.
In a statement posted on Sandwell Council's Facebook page, it says: "If you think you have been a victim of a scam, or if you are concerned that a family member or friend has become a victim, please report this to our partner agency Citizens Advice consumer services on 03454 04 05 06."
Rachel Ruxton, Head of Communications at People's Postcode Lottery said: "People's Postcode Lottery is aware that sometimes illegitimate individuals and organisations will attempt to use our lottery's brand to gain access to information or details supplied by unsuspecting members of the public. People's Postcode Lottery takes such matters very seriously. If you receive one of these letters, phone calls, SMS messages or emails, then we strongly advise the public to treat these communications as scams and they should be ignored.
"Legitimate lotteries, such as People's Postcode Lottery, will not under any circumstances request a payment in order to receive your 'winnings'. If you are at all suspicious, then contact our customer service team on 0808 1098 765. Thankfully incidences where the public is affected by an illegal lottery using the People's Postcode Lottery brand are rare, but we would encourage anyone who has encountered a scam to report it to the national fraud reporting centre www.actionfraud.police.uk
"To be clear — you cannot win a Lottery you haven't entered. Also, if you are a winner, People's Postcode Lottery would never ask for payment to claim a prize."
