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Canadian police target lottery scam in Winchester

155/04     27 September 2004

Canadian policeman Sergeant Barry Elliot is helping Hampshire trading standards officers and Winchester Citizens Advice tackle Canadian lottery scams, in conjunction with the Office of Fair Trading.

Thousands of UK residents have already been targeted, and have fallen victim to the fraudulent lottery schemes which promise winnings from the Canadian national lottery in return for administration or release fees.

Sergeant Elliot from the Ontario Police will meet with trading standards officers and local Citizens Advice staff alongside the OFT's Mike Haley, Deputy Head of Co-regulation, Codes and Coordination to discuss best practice and the threats posed to vulnerable consumers by deceptive telemarketing. He will also talk about his experience on the Canadian initiative Phonebusters – a national police scheme set up specifically to target deceptive telemarketing scams.

Announcing the visit, Mike Haley said:

'Millions of pounds are being lost by UK consumers to this scam so it is vital that we tackle the problem through continued cooperation and it remains a top priority for all involved in crime enforcement. Sergeant Elliot's visit is a key part of that strategy to keep a high profile of the Canadian lottery scam, to share best practice with UK enforcement agencies and to help get the message across to those it affect most through those agencies that deal with vulnerable groups.'

NOTES

1. Canada does not have a state backed national lottery. Super Sevens and 6/49 are legitimate private lotteries in Canada but they do not target UK consumers to enter or take part, and they are not state funded.

2. The OFT is working with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Competition Bureau of Canada, Phonebusters, the Ontario Provincial Police, Toronto Police, Ontario Ministry of Consumer and Business Services and the Attorney General's Office for British Columbia to tackle Canadian Lottery scams.

3. The OFT ran a consumer awareness campaign on Canadian lotteries in December 2003. See press release 156/03.

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