A CHILLINGTON resident has had a scam letter through her door and wants to warn others not to be taken in.

The resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, received a letter claiming to be from the Euro Millions People’s International Postcode Lottery, informing her that she had won around £700,000 from a ticket matched with her name from March.

The letter says that there was an administrative error, meaning they have only just been able to contact her to let her know about the award.

‘I called my daughter to check if she had bought a ticket on my behalf’, she said, ‘I was pretty sure it was a scam but just had to check.’

She said the letter asked her to call two numbers, and gives the return address as a PO Box in Zurich, Switzerland. There were a few things that made her suspicious about the letter, one being the paper it was written on being thin and cheap.

A spokesman for Devon and Cornwall Police said: ‘The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau has seen an increase in Action Fraud reports where victims receive a letter from a company claiming to be the “Euro Millions Peoples International Postcode Lottery”.

‘The letter may ask for a fee to release the funds or ask you to provide your personal details. If you have received one of these letters, please notify Action Fraud.

‘Protect yourself: Never respond to any such communication. If you have not entered a lottery then you cannot have won it. Any request for a fee payment is a good indication that someone is trying to defraud you. Never disclose your bank details or pay any fees in advance to anyone or any company who you are unsure of.’

If you need to report a fraud, call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use the Action Fraud reporting tool on the website: www.actionfraud.police.uk