Police issue alert over new lottery scam
Two 'winners' receive letters asking them to deposit money; one is cheated of $12,200
Published on Aug 19, 2011
The scam uses coupons mailed from China which reveal prizes of US$88,888 when scratched. -- PHOTO: SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
By Hoe Pei Shan
The letters come with scratch-and-win lottery coupons - and phone numbers of people described as previous winners.
In this latest lottery scam, the letters also ask the 'winners' to first deposit money before they can claim their prizes.
The Straits Times understands that two cases have been reported to the police since last month. The middle-aged letter recipients live in Yishun and Tanjong Rhu.
The police said one of them was cheated of US$10,100 (S$12,200), while the other smelt a rat and alerted the authorities.
Read the full story in Friday's edition of The Straits Times.