Charity names used in lotto scam

A new email scam has hijacked the good names of the British Red Cross and Action Against Hunger UK.

Essentially the age old internet lottery scam, the fraudsters tell recipients they've won £500,000. It claims to be run in conjunction with the British Red Cross and Action Against Hunger UK and requests personal details so it can award their 'prize'.

Needless to say, callers are asked for a sizeable amount of cash up front before the 'prize' can be processed.

The warning about the scam comes from the Charity Commission. David Locke, Head of Charity Services at the Commission said: "We're warning people not to be fooled into thinking that this is a legitimate lottery because of its supposed association with the two charities named in the email - neither charity has anything to do with this scam.

"Any genuine correspondence from a charity will include a registered charity number and contact details, which can be checked on our website. These sorts of scams are rare, but don't become a victim of those who prey on society's trust in charity."

However, fraudsters are continuing to use official organisations to give their scams more plausibility and consequently fooling an increasing number of people; including well meaning authorities and associations.

People who want more information on the various frauds that are circulating the internet, including lotto frauds such as this, can get details from the Metropolitan Police's Fraudalert page.

They can also get more information on how to spot and avoid these scams at the Office of Fair Trading's website.