Warning about '£3.5m prize' scam letter circulating in North East Lincolnshire
RESIDENTS are being warned not to fall for a postal scam circulating in North East Lincolnshire.
Two elderly homeowners have reported receiving a letter informing them they have been allocated £3.5 million from an organisation called IPO.
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BIN IT: Holding the scam letters are Steve Kirk, left, chairman of Beacon Hill Connect and concerned vice- chairman Gary Griffin.
The scam asks that, to release the money, claimants must submit either £40 cash or £50 postal order – money they will never see again.
Steve Kirk, 54, of Soloman Court, Cleethorpes, is chairman of the Beacon Hill Connect group and a neighbour of the two people who reported the letters.
Urgently seeking two / four bedroom properties for our lengthy list of possible suitable tenants with the lowest fees in town and excellent turn around rate for sourcing and managing.
Terms: Terms and Conditions Apply
Contact: 01472 355 553
Valid until: Thursday, June 20 2013
Steve has expressed his concerns in the Grimsby Telegraph because one of the victims was trying to find the correct address to send a cheque to, and wanted everyone to be wary.
"I've never seen this particular letter before," he said.
"It's very concerning. One of my elderly neighbours who received the letter was asking another resident if he knew where he needed to send the money to.
"If he had seen the address he would have sent the money. A sum of £40 or £50 may not sound like a lot of money to some people but to people living on pensions it could make a big difference.
"They always manage to find the most vulnerable people. I don't know how they do it.
"Many people will just throw the letters in the bin but some are not as alert.
"I want people to be aware of this latest letter scam and hopefully we can prevent anyone falling victim to it.
"The people behind these scams are scum of the earth. If you receive one of these letters I will happily come round and rip it up for you."
Councillor Dave Bolton, portfolio holder for Community Safety and Neighbourhoods at North East Lincolnshire Council, said: "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, but some people will try anything to get their hands on some easy money.
"Anyone suspecting a scam or receiving potentially fraudulent communication in any form can seek advice from Citizen's Advice on 0845 040506."
8 Comments
by Hallcross
Friday, March 15 2013, 12:24PM
“Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam as the Monty Python sketch goes.
Money has been promised to me so get in line folks :-)”
by Hallcross
Friday, March 15 2013, 12:19PM
“Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam as the Monty Python sketch goes.
Money has been promised to me so get in line folks :-)”
by Big-Hat-Harry
Thursday, March 14 2013, 3:29PM
“This scam has been running for many years in one form or another. This case is a timely reminder that it is ongoing. As the saying goes, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.”
by siddyg
Thursday, March 14 2013, 2:12PM
“people in this area are so gullible i can`t wait untill my nigerian lottery winnings arrive and i can leave this place”
by The_Wrangler
Thursday, March 14 2013, 11:43AM
“You know I almost think its natural selection, if you are thick enough to fall for such a blatent scam, you almost deserve to be scammed!”
by Hedgewood
Thursday, March 14 2013, 11:25AM
“My spam box gets 10 a day, just ignore them.”
by tankie322
Thursday, March 14 2013, 10:55AM
“Just write back and tell them to keep it or send it to all the "needy" in Africa. It probably came from there in the first place as most of these scams do anyway. Particularly West Africa in a place called Nigeria?”
by fazza2110
Thursday, March 14 2013, 9:23AM
“It's Ali G, theres your culprit.it says" I is pleased to inform you"”