Scam letter pops up in Katikati

An old-fashioned mail scam has turned up in Katikati. File photo.

One Katikati resident is sceptical after receiving a letter in the mail alleging she had won a share of $21 million.

The letter, from ‘United Benefits', purports to be searching for claimants to the ‘13 May 2017 Australian Superdraw 1st Prize Pool'.

It's not clear from the letter whether United Benefits claim to have this money already, and are charging a $10 fee to release it; or if the $10 fee is some sort of entry into a syndicate to purchase tickets for the future lottery draw.

In any case, the Katikati woman (who would prefer not to be named) became suspicious when the payment was requested alongside credit card details. After some online sleuthing, however, she discovered the letter was a known scam.

'The aspect which disquiets me the most is: How did they obtain my name and full address?”

United Benefits can be found on a long list of known mail scams on the Department of Internal Affairs website.

A thread on the Complaints Board website suggests the scam is international in nature, and that some unfortunate people have already been convinced to part with their money, for no apparent gain.

The letter in question (personal details redacted). Supplied photo.

How to identify scams – Department of Internal Affairs

Lots of scams can look genuine, and sometimes it's hard to tell that they're not real. If you're not sure, don't respond or click on links - look up their contact details and verify the authenticity of the communication.

It might be a scam if:

  • you don't know the sender
  • it's addressed to 'My Dear' or something generic
  • there are too many grammatical or spelling errors in the email or SMS text message
  • the email address is a public service domain like Gmail / Yahoo / Livemail
  • a bank that you don't have an account with contacts you
  • you are urged to visit a website to update your account information or fill in a form with personal information
  • you're advised to act fast to claim money or some other prize in a lottery or competition that you never entered
  • you inherit money or possessions from someone you've never heard of
  • you receive a request from a stranger who needs your help (usually to send money)
  • someone on a social networking site asks you to send them money so they can pay debts or so that they can visit you.

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2 comments

Nothing new

Posted on 28-03-2017 12:59 | By bigal

I get scam emails all the time, nothing new


So do I Bigal

Posted on 28-03-2017 14:20 | By Summerfreeze

I'm constantly getting emails from, supposedly Countdown, telling me I've won $2000. Even 4Square have sent me the same message. Yeah right.


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