Watch out for sweepstake and lottery scams • Be Aware, Be Smart - Don’t be a scam victim! |20 August 2018

As good as it may feel to come to know that you have some extra money to go into your wallet or bank account, it is very important to be sure of the source of funds.

While it is one thing to receive an inheritance from a loved one, or to be reunited with some money you had forgotten you had stashed away, it is a completely different story to receive an anonymous message saying you have won the lottery.

Have you personally, or do you know a friend or family member who has received such a message?

“Congratulations! Your mobile number has won $5,000,000 in the ongoing 2018 Maestro Mobile Super Lottery Draw. Your reference winning number is LPM6543/VV98FD20. For claims and payment please contact Dr. Jake by email: admin@mtdraw.online.”

Tempting or suspicious?

As amazing as it may sound, messages notifying you that you have won a handsome sum of money in a certain lottery, are nothing more than scams and tricks designed by online predators to fool people into parting with their hard-earned money.

Sadly, in spite of warnings, many people are still falling prey to such scams, and the fraudsters’ crafty and cleverly executed phone calls, emails, text, WhatsApp or Facebook messages announcing that you have won a large sum of money, giving you instructions on how to go about claiming your ‘valuable’ prize. Some go as far as offering luxury homes, cars, expensive phones, and jewellery among others.

Spotting the warning signs:

• Emails from fictitious looking company names.

• Texts from suspicious international numbers.

• Not so professionally written messages.

• Urgency to claim your prize.

• An unrealistic prize.

• Request to keep the news to yourself.

• Request to pay a fee to have your winnings released.

Some useful tips to avoid falling into a trap:

• Ask yourself this question: Have I taken part in a lottery? If you never did, you cannot be a winner.

• Be wise enough to know that nobody gives out free money, cars or phones.

• Remember - legitimate lotteries do not require a fee to collect winnings.

• Never send money to a strange account online, it’s almost impossible to recover.

• Never give out your personal information, including your financial details.

• Immediately delete any suspicious emails, SMS or Facebook messages promising a prize that sounds too good to be true.

• If you are still not sure what to do, talk to a trusted family member or friend.

If you think you have been targeted by a sweepstake or lottery scam you can also seek advice from:

The Central Bank of Seychelles on: 4282000 or enquiries@cbs.sc

The Financial Intelligence Unit on: 4383406/4383407 or enquiries@gov.sc

Be on the lookout for more information about how to spot a scam.

Always remember: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

Contributed by the Central Bank of Seychelles