The letters, which make false claims about being partnered with official international lotteries and the FIFA World Cup, inform recipients that they have been ‘specially selected’ and are ‘attached to a winning ticket’. The recipients are then asked to send a claim form or contact a ‘claims agent’ by phone or fax to start the claims procedure. As with the majority of lottery scams, people who make contact with the scammers will then be asked to pay a processing fee in order to receive their prize.
With the letter claiming to be linked to official sources, FIFA has been quick to advise players that the only source for official and guaranteed World Cup tickets is through their website, FIFA.com, any other websites selling tickets are breaking Brazilian law.
With Nottingham being one of the targeted areas, Chair of Nottinghamshire County Council’s Community Safety Committee Gylnn Gilfoyle has warned people not to fall for these scams. “As the anticipation for the next World Cup builds, many local football fans may be tempted to buy tickets from an unofficial source but they could be left out of pocket with nothing to show for the money that they’ve forked out,” he said.
If you are worried about falling victim to a lottery scam, we would like to remind you of these key points:
- The only way to win a lottery prize is to have purchased a valid ticket and have matched one of the winning combinations.
- Lottery officials will never ask for a payment in order to release your winnings.
- Lotteries never enter players into draws or promotions without the players’ consent.
- The only way to gain entry into the 2014 World Cup is to buy a ticket directly from FIFA.com.
WorldLottery.net would like to advise all football fans to follow these guidelines and remain vigilant for potential lottery scams.