West Mercia Police - Economic Crime Unit - Weekly Fraud update - 21/10/2026

West Mercia Police - Economic Crime Unit - Weekly Fraud update - 21/10/2026

LOTTERY & PRIZE DRAW SCAMS

“You’ve won!” but have you?

Criminals are contacting people out of the blue to tell them that they have won a prize draw or lottery. This is often followed up by a request for payment to send the prize to you, and via that request they gain access to your personal and financial details

So how do you protect yourself, as well as others, from being defrauded by this?

Have you actually entered any competition or Lottery knowingly? If not, you cannot have won it anyway!

Never click on any links in these prize draw messages

Were you asked to pay a fee to receive the “prize”? No legitimate Lottery or prize draw organiser will ask for a release or delivery fee.

Check the email address if provided for contact, criminals tend to use Hotmail and Google style email addresses.

Poor spelling and grammar may be a clue in the message although with AI in more frequent use, messages will be presented more accurately and professionally.

If in doubt about the website address, then check it out at “getsafeonline” -https://check.getsafeonline.org/home

Please feel free to share these messages with any vulnerable friends, relatives, or neighbours

If you think you are a victim of fraud:

Report it toReport Fraud (formerly known as ACTION FRAUD) on 0300 123 2040 or via www.reportfraud.police.uk

Scam Text messages can be forwarded to 7726 to help phone providers take prompt action and block numbers that generate spam on their networks. You can also report Scam mobile calls by texting 7726 with the word “Call” followed by the fraudulent caller’s phone number.

Forward Fake Emails received to report@phishing.gov.uk

If you think your bank account or personal banking details have been used fraudulently, then use the short phone number - 159 - to contact the Fraud Prevention Department of most major

UK banks.

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Message Sent By
Michael Barbour
(Police, PSV, Economic Crime Unit – Fraud Protect’)