Halton Borough Council has issued a warning after a resident has received a scam email (attached) which pretends to be from Western Union.
It claims that the recipient has been selected by the United Nations Humanitarian/Poverty Alleviation Programme to receive $1.5 million.
This scam email was prevalent in 2015 and it appears to have been resurrected, possibly because of the media attention around the Western Union refunds scheme, which Halton Borough Council flagged up on The One Show.
Halton Borough Council’s Executive Board Member for Trading Standards, Cllr Dave Cargill, said: “While it’s unlikely that Halton residents will believe that they have been selected to receive funds from the United Nations, this warning is being issued in case those who have applied for a refund see the subject lines ‘Western Union’ and ‘Payment Approval’ and assume the message is about their claim.
“This email is a scam. The United Nations does not offer prizes, awards or funds. If you receive it, delete it without opening.”
If you or somebody you know has been caught out by a scam please contact one of our specialist officers, Linda or Sue on 0151 511 8785 or 0151 511 8775, who are already working with people in Halton who have lost thousands of pounds to scams.
If you need advice on anything else please contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline or 03454 04 05 06.