The UK National Lottery Scam

Many people in Pakistan have received e-mails purporting to come from the National Lottery in the United Kingdom, telling them that they have won a large sum of money. Recipients of such e-mails should be very careful. They are usually followed by another e-mail asking the winner to pay an amount of money (usually several hundred pounds) for payment of a fee or other charges. This is a trick, designed to get your money.

The British High Commission in Pakistan urges anyone receiving unsolicited correspondence claiming to be from UK lottery companies to exercise extreme caution, particularly if they have been asked for money in order to receive winnings. Legitimate UK lottery companies DO NOT ask for money or personal banking details. If a member of the public receives an e-mail or a letter claiming to be from a lottery they have not entered, we advise them not to reply to it and not to complete any claim forms. Remember, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

The UK National Lottery website says:

- We do not advise a player who has won a prize by e-mail. If the e-mail says 'Winning Notification' or 'Lottery Sweep Stake' in the text, the e-mail you've received is not from UK National Lottery;

- We do not put winning numbers or winning dates on an e-mail;

- We do not advise of a winning amount on an e-mail;

- We do not ask Players for information like name, address or bank details in an e-mail;

Some tips on how to spot if the correspondence is fraudulent:

-There may be a sense of urgency, e.g. "respond within 5 days or your account will be closed";

- There may be links within the body of the e-mail that look legitimate because they contain all or part of a real company's name. These links may take you to fake websites which ask you to update personal information;

- Finally, do you remember entering the competition? If not, then chances are you haven't won and the information is false.

For further guidance on this, please visit the official governmental website of the UK National Lottery