Police have issued advice asking residents to be weary of lottery or competition scams that ask you to pay a fee upfront.
Officers had a call from a woman, 64, from Hornchurch, who received a letter on January 9 from the International FIFA World Cup online lottery saying that she had won a large amount of money and that she should ring a given number to claim her prize.
She rang the number and spoke with a man who said that she should pay £75 into an account, which would then release her winning cash. She never received her winning money.
Chief inspector David Hay said: “I would advise all local residents to be aware that this and other similar scams are common across the borough.
“If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Especially if you win money in a lottery that you haven’t even entered.”
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