Trading Standards Warning

Trading Standards are warning residents that there is currently an INTERNATIONAL FIFA WORLD CUP ONLINE LOTTERY scam letter circulating in the Islands.

The letter states that you are the winner of a lump sum of money, in order to claim the substantial monetary prize you have to phone a telephone number to process the winnings.  A further letter is sent claiming the prize money is on hold and a clearance charge is required to be paid by the recipient to release the funds.

Trading Standards advise residents not to respond to these letters and to put them in the bin.  They offer the following guidance on checking if something is a scam.

Scams are schemes to con you out of your money. They can arrive by post, phone call, text message or email or a scammer may turn up at your home.
It could be a scam if:

• the call, letter, email or text has come out of the blue
• you’ve never heard of the lottery or competition they are talking about and didn’t buy a ticket
• you are asked to send money in advance
• you are told you have to respond quickly so I don’t get time to think about it or talk to family and friends before you decide