Armstrong warns public to be vigilent

Mid-Ulster MLA Billy Armstrong has warned the public about a new lottery scam which is circulating in Northern Ireland.

Mr Armstrong said;

"I recently received a letter from someone claiming to represent a Madrid based lottery, telling me that I had won over 600,000 euros.

The official looking document has a stamp which states "Govt Approval" and "Approved and Issued by Lotto Commission Espanol" and also enclosed a stamped addressed envelope.

The letter requests Bank account details as part of a "payment processing form"

This is obviously a fake and I would caution anyone who has received a similar letter to destroy it. Personal details, particularly banking details should NEVER be handed out, as it merely assists those criminals who are seeking to carry out identity fraud.

I can see how some people might be tempted to reply in the hope of receiving a windfall, but this is nothing more than a cruel trick seeking to access someone's bank details in an attempt to carry out identity fraud. As usual the advice is, if something looks to good to be true then it probably is."

I have passed the letter on to the Police so that they might be aware of this scam."