People's Postcode Lottery scam: watch out for dodgy emails asking for your personal details

Fraudsters are trying to trick you into giving away your personal details by claiming you’ve won the People’s Postcode Lottery.

A number of Facebook users have reported receiving fake emails purporting to be from the People's Postcode Lottery, claiming they have won large sums of money. 

Some recipients only realised the emails were scams after entering their postcode on the official People's Postcode Lottery website.

Read on to learn about how scammers are using these messages to steal your information. 

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Postcode Lottery scam email: how it works

The scam email begins with the phrase ‘Your postcode has been chosen as the winner’. It goes on to say: ‘We are happy to let you know that your postcode has been chosen as the winner of today’s drawing of People’s Postcode Lottery. Your postcode has been selected at random by computer ballot system. All participants were selected from electoral roll database.’

Aside from some dodgy grammar, it’s difficult to immediately identify this as a scam email. However, it then goes on to ask for photos of your driving licence or passport, utility bills and your National Insurance card. It says you can provide these as scans or take a selfie holding the documents.

The email continues: ‘Please send the requested documents to: postcodelottery@mail.co.uk. Our algorithm will compare your face in the selfie to the document photo. Make sure to send a bright photo where all text is clearly readable.’

There are two telltale signs of fraud here. First, the request for excessive amounts of personal information sets alarm bells ringing. Second, the email address used is fake. The People’s Postcode Lottery email address is listed on its website as info@postcodelottery.co.uk.

Finally, the email lists tips on how to take the best photographs and says that the money will be received within 30 days as a cheque.

People's Postcode Lottery issues warning about scam

The People's Postcode Lottery has warned users about this scam on its Twitter account. It stated: ‘Please be aware if you receive an email like this – it is not from us, it is a fake. Do not provide any personal information.’ This was shared alongside a screenshot of the email.

It went on to clarify: ‘We will always notify you if your postcode is drawn. If you win £10 we would send you a text message or an email. If you win £1,000 or more we will either call you or send you a letter in the post.’

Identity theft

Identity fraud can come in many forms, but ultimately criminals are trying to steal your details to make money. This could involve opening a bank account, taking out credit cards and loans, signing up for state benefits or ordering goods, all in your name.

Scammers can also use your identity to take over your accounts and obtain genuine documents, such as passports and driving licences.

A Which? investigation found pages across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter advertising stolen documents such as bank cards, passports and driving licences. 

Staying safe

If you receive an unsolicited email containing news that’s too good to be true, you should always treat it with caution. Make sure to double-check any information shared in these kinds of emails by visiting the official website of the brand mentioned.

If the email isn’t about a specific brand and references people or organisations you’ve never heard of, you can rest assured that it’s most likely a scam and ignore it.

To report scam emails, forward them to report@phishing.gov.uk. You can also use Hotmail’s 'Report phishing' button or Gmail’s 'Report spam' button.