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Lottery scams get dangerous and violent

Sarah Coles
Dec 18th 2009 at 8:00AM

Filed under: Fraud

It all starts so well, with an email telling you that you have won the lottery, but before long these lottery scams escalate out of all control, ending in threats and the theft of your life savings.

It's a new, more nasty and aggressive form of the lottery scam, and it is catching out thousands of people in the UK.

So what is happening, and what can you do about it?

These scams, set up in Jamaica, usually email you to say you have won up to £2.5 million in the lottery.

It works in much the same way as normal lottery scams, telling you that in order to free up the money you have to send cash to them for taxes, fees, insurance or customs duties.

Once the first sum is sent, the criminals get their hooks into you, sending demands for more and more money.

The new twist is that if you refuse they will begin to threaten you. Some will threaten violence, and others claim they will take you to Jamaica where you face trial and possibly jail.

The Office of Fair Trading says a large number of elderly people have already been caught out and have lost their life savings.

They are warning people who receive any email, letter, phone call or visit in person to tell them they have won the lottery that it is always a scam. These should not be opened or responded to, and never under any circumstances should these criminal gangs be sent money.

The Serious Organised Crime Agency is working to tackle the gangs, but in the interim warns people to be vigilant.

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