Once again the Bermuda Police Service Financial Crime Unit would like to remind members of the public to remain vigilant regarding scams that attempt to obtain personal information or other sensitive data.

In particular, local residents should be wary of a lottery scam letter currently in circulation that appears to originate from Madrid, Spain.

The deceptive letter – claiming to provide the results of the Euro Lotto Spanish Sweepstake Lottery / International Promotional Programme held on 1st May 2019 – is sent via traditional mail and addressed personally to residents, suggesting that the recipient has “been approved for a lump sum payout of one million two hundred and fifty thousand Euros in cash.”

The fraudulent letter goes on to request personal details, including banking information, so that the supposed cash prize can be obtained and creates a sense of urgency by indicating that “All prize money must be claimed not later than 31st January 2020.”

Such requests via unsolicited correspondence should be ignored.

The public is reminded that personal information such as dates of birth, addresses, phone numbers and banking details are valuable and that this information should never be passed over the internet, phone or by post to unknown persons.

To report any incidents of suspected fraud, please contact the Financial Crime Unit on telephone number 247-1757 or via the e-mail address fraud2@bps.bm.

Advice on how to avoid and report scams can also be found at https://www.gov.bm/how-avoid-and-report-scams.

• Press release from the Bermuda Police Service