On 15 December, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has warned customers over?lottery scams on the horizon in light of the festive period?

The UKGC issued a statement informing?players how to spot lottery scams and?avoid?fraudulent lotteries.?This news comes in reaction to the increase in the number of potential lottery scams synonymous with the festive period.?

They provide a checklist for customers highlighting the signs?that?a lottery may be a scam, including?but?not limited to:?

• Be aware of lotteries that ask you to send cash overseas, or to phone an?international number or?premium?rate number?
• Check the method of payment being asked of you, whether the site is secure or via payment gateways like PayPal?
• Suspicious emails with spelling errors or inconsistencies??
• An illegitimate lottery?promotion?would be sent from a personal email address.??
• Don’t click on links sent via email; a?genuine?website?starts with ‘https’?
• Watch out for exaggerated language?on lottery promotions?
• Adverts that reel people in with claims that?gambling is a solution to financial difficulties is prohibited?

The UKGC goes on to?stress the importance of checking if an operator is licenced; stating it should be?licensed?by the?Gambling?Commission?or a local authority.??

Additionally, it is easy to identify the legitimacy of a lottery?advert on?Facebook?by checking if?the Facebook page is?verified.??

The UKGC add that if one comes across a scam?or what they believe to be an illegal lottery, they should immediately report it to Action Fraud?or to a local authority responsible for the area it is operating in.??

Recently, the UK have announced that the national minimum age requirement to engage in gambling (including the lottery) has increased from 16 to 18 years of age.

Source: Gambling Commission ?

About SiGMA’s revamped website:

SiGMA Group is excited to announce the launch of its newly?revamped website. The website is currently available in 6 languages, English, Russian, French, Mandarin, Portuguese, and Spanish with plans to add another 4 languages over the coming months – namely Thai, Korean, Japanese, and Hindi.