SCAM ALERT

Fake message stating you have won a prize

The most current scam alert involving prize competition businesses involves a message being sent from a scammer to an unsuspecting recipient. The scammer will be looking to retrieve various information from those wanting to claim the prize with the main aim to steal money from the recipients bank account or retrieve valuable data. This message can be via email, mobile phone, Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger and other forms of communication.

The message will be designed to look like it has come from an established online raffle business. It can look incredibly genuine and may even refer to a competition you have recently entered. 

In the message, the recipient is asked to make contact to claim their prize. When they do, the scammer will attempt to retrieve personal details. This can include Bank details, National Insurance numbers, email addresses and more. Once the conversation has ended, the recipient can be completely oblivious to the scam and will be left waiting for a completely fictitious prize to be delivered!

If you receive a message from any Online Raffle Business, please be vigilant and check the source of the message. By simply checking where the email or online chat has come from, you can almost always confirm if it has come from a legitimate source.

If you have any doubts at all whether communication from an online raffle is genuine or not, we would recommend that you do not reply. Instead, contact the business that the message has supposedly come from and get confirmation that you need to claim a prize. 

Nine times out of ten, the message you receive will be genuine. However, in a world of online scammers its important to be vigilant and cautious. This particular scam is common and easily fools innocent people into handing over personal details, particularly those not so internet savvy!

Facebook Competitions

You will no doubt have seen Facebook Competition Pages promoting the chance to win amazing prizes! A lot of work goes into such pages! Creating daily posts with well designed content in order to build a good following and growing their business takes time, money and commitment. However, tickets for an online raffle must not be purchased through a Facebook Page. Instead, a website must be provided where payment for tickets can be made through a secure payment platform.

Facebook can be used to promote an online raffle business, but it cannot be used to fully host one. A Facebook page promoting online raffles must have a link to a website that abides by the rules and regulations set out by the Gambling Act 2005.  Furthermore, they should have legal terms and conditions and be using a trusted payment platform.

Those running an online raffle directly on Facebook will ask you to send payment for tickets via online banking (BACS), sending the payment directly into their bank account. Legitimate online raffle providers will use a secure payment platform on their website to take payments, usually a bank that specialises in providing a payment gateway for such a business.

If you see an online raffle being promoted on Facebook and there is no website link where payments can be made securely then DO NOT BUY TICKETS! Many hosting an online raffle through Facebook are unaware of how illegal this is. It can be an innocent attempt at making some extra money without realising the legal trouble they could get themselves into. 

Don’t chance it! Check if they have a website, see what reviews they have from past customers and if something doesn’t seem right then leave the page and look elsewhere.

Further information about Facebook Competitions scams can be found at Online Raffle Scams and also Cloned Facebook Pages

Scam Phone Calls

For information about scam phone calls please refer to our Scam Phone Calls page.