In April, we reported on the so-called FIFA Euromillions scam. Back then, we reported letters sent to households across mainland Britain ahead of the European Championships. It was particularly virulent because most home countries (all except Scotland) in the British Isles had qualified for the finals. Now, a new variation is being sent to households in Northern Ireland with many reports from Ulster already. The new FIFA World Cup lottery scam contains largely the same details as before, but with one or two slight changes.
Beware The FIFA World Cup Lottery Scam 2016
This new FIFA World Cup lottery scam is a new variation on the FIFA Euromillions scam. Every so often it goes through some slight changes in line with sporting events. Claiming links to well-known bodies or sporting events helps lure victims into a false sense of security. This latest version has the header International FIFA World Cup Online Lottery. The scam letters use official logos and claim to be part of the upcoming event. The qualifiers begin in October ahead of the 2018 finals in Russia. There is no official lottery and there is unlikely to be one. FIFA does not raise money in this way from the general public.
Scams like the FIFA Euromillions and this new FIFA World Cup lottery scam often follow the same pattern. They will point to the “winner” due millions of pounds or Euros. However there is one catch – you are required to send money as an administration fee or to release the funds as a bank transfer. Once sent, victims never hear from the scammers again. The address, the company details and the President name are all made up. The fact that this has been doing the rounds since 2010 (or earlier) suggests that enough people are falling for it.
It is worth repeating again: you cannot win a lottery you did not enter.