National Lottery scammers con victims out of £50k as police issue urgent warning

National Lottery scammers have conned their victims out of £50,000 worth of valuables, with two police forces issuing an urgent warning.

Four people have been swindled so far in separate incidents between September 27 and October 24 across Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, police said.

The force said all the incidents had “very similar methodology”.

In each case, two offenders approached the victim on the street, claiming to have a winning lottery ticket that they cannot claim due to “immigration reasons”.

One of the men was described as South Asian, and the other Eastern European.

They would then call a third fraudster – who pretended to be from the National Lottery – to verify the claims.

The conmen would then offer to split the winnings if the victim, who were typically men of South Asian heritage, paid a deposit.

This would either be in the form of cash or jewellery, and the victim was then driven to their house to collect the valuables.

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However, after picking up the deposit, the offenders would flee the scene.

Outlining one incident that took place in Watford, a Hertfordshire Police spokesperson said: “The victim has got into the vehicle of an unidentified man under the impression that the man had lottery winnings to collect worth £150k.

“However, the man needed the victim’s help as he was a foreign national and so unable to claim the winnings.

“The victim was dropped off at The Pond Post Office and when they went inside the suspect/s have driven off with the victim’s mobile phone still inside the car.”

It is understood that no money was exchanged in this instance.

Det Sgt Greg Davenport, of Bedfordshire Police’s Force Intelligence Bureau, said: “These incidents happened in Greyfriars in Bedford, Marsh Road in Luton as well as in Watford and Potters Bar. But they all have very similar methodology.

“We clearly would like to hear from anyone who has information about these incidents but it is also really important that people are aware of this scam and on their guard.”

People are warned to be wary of anyone who approaches them on the street with claims of earning money.