Win - advice needed please.

hdh74

This is rather complicated, apologies for the length:

I entered a comp FB. It involved liking a page and playing a game on it and also liking a second page. It was a performance game where high scores won. It was supposed to be drawn at the end of March. Subsequently the page said that there had been some problems with the game and they had lost the data and would announce winners when they had fixed it. Nothing was heard from them for weeks. Some time back when I first started playing I got a friend request from someone who said he worked for the page with the game and we exchanged a few messages - mainly him saying how well I was doing on the game etc, nothing major. He has some kind of involvement in both pages but I'm not sure what. This guy messaged me this morning to say I had won 2 cash prizes. (£350 in total so not to be sneezed at - could really use it right now) He said I would get an official e-mail later.

The same person did e-mail me later, with an e-mail that was clearly his but from a business address I didn't recognise, confirming my win and it was signed off from the comp fb page, and asking for my full name and address saying my prize would be posted in the next few days. I replied with my full name and address as requested.

Shortly afterwards I got an e-mail from a person I never heard of at a company I never heard of asking for my bank details so they could send me my prize by transfer. This was a bit perplexing but I dug around and found they own the second FB page, which suggested it was the same prize. I checked out their company registration and website and their main office is in Oxford but they also have one in Sheffield and one in London. At this point I still had no way of being entirely sure it was the same comp but it seemed likely but I was rather concerned so e-mailed back asking if I could have a cheque and offering to collect from their nearest office and stating I would be happy to pose for publicity whilst there if they wanted. I did later spot that the chap who had initially e-mailed me had sent a copy to this company but I had missed that so also messaged him to clarify but got no reply so far.

They replied that they do not issue cheques and asked me again to send my bank details. However they asked me to post them to an address in Blackpool or phone them on a Blackpool number - neither of these seem to relate to anything on their official site or registered address. Digging around I found that the person who initially contacted me does have some sort of connection with this company, and also with a lot of other companies, including one I remember doing a survey for on one occasion.

So I'm rather concerned that I have given my full name and address to one person, details I can't recall on a survey, and info that might have been picked up on facebook, and now this other person wants my bank details. That's a lot of info to give out to strangely linked companies that are rather hard to understand.

I'm rather reluctant to walk away from £350, and I talk to someone who won an Ipad from them last year which they collected, but I feel very nervous about all this.

Help please!

jonnybrussell

well the bank details you will have to give them are no different to the ones that are on every cheque you send ... account number and sort code

a lot of 'companies' are registered nowhere near where they trade, others have sub offices, some have staff working from home etc etc etc.

ultimately the choice is yours...however as i dont vet everyone i send a cheque to, i wouldnt be uncomfortable sending someone the same info

JamboDP

Dont give any body your bank details or it might cost you more than £350, they can take money as well as pay money into your account. I would never give any body my bank details.

Barnabysue

All that they need to make a transfer into your account is the Sort Code and Account Number, details that are on every cheque that you write. It's the other information that you may have given in the survey added to those Bank Details that could cause the problem.

Zengin_Tepe

I'm no expert, but my advice would be to walk away. All the advice from finance experts tells us NEVER to divulge bank details. Better safe than sorry I think is the answer here.

hdh74

Well I got my facebook message answered, where I asked the guy who first messaged me if this company was the same as the comp I entered and he just replied, 'yes'. I then said I was a bit confused as he had asked for my name and address and his e-mail had said my prize would be posted to me. He replied, 'I just deal with the facebook side of things for them. Glad they are sorting it for you.'

To make things even more confusing, the e-mail asking for my bank details is from someone who owns yet another company (not the one they mention in their e-mail, nor the one I entered the comp with) but one based in Blackpool - where they want the details sending.

Blulu

Or will they wait for you to open a new bank account and give those details? That way, there won't be anything connected to that account yet for you to be concerned about. TBH, I'm torn about this one. Normally, if I'm unsure but suspicious, I won't go any further. On the other hand, I've definitely heard others talk about prize money being paid this way. Another quick thought. Perhaps talk to someone at your bank about what risks you might be leaving yourself open to?

RavenRae

Do you have a paypal account and if you do is it the same email address as the one you've been communicating with them ? Get them to send the money to your paypal account then transfer it into your main bank account when the money's in there

Or what about a prepayment card? Could you register for one of those and give them the details to that?

Just thinking out loud really.

I know people say the bank account and sort code are what are already on cheques - something this company dont seem to have hmmm, but like mentioned about, we dont know what other info they already have and I dont think you should give out that info.

PennyRT

Not sure about this one, I think it would be an odd scam just to pick one random person to attempt to fraud?

Princess_x

If it's only a bank transfer, they can't actually take anything out of your account so I don't think there's anything to worry about there (if it was only your sort code and account number that is). It's the card number and security code that you must not give out. With sort code and account number they can only transfer money into your account, BUT it can also be used to set up direct debit so in that sense it can be worrying especially as you've given out your name and address. I'd have thought if they required your name and address they'd send you a cheque so that bit is confusing as all you need for a transfer is your sort code and account number and also name. With a direct debit being set up, you would be protected under direct debit guarantee, so if this was to happen you'd be refunded anyway.

In terms of the second person owning another company, that's normal. Most competition sites have another brand or company sponsoring the competition, meaning the prize itself comes from the secondary brand/company not the original one.

It's upto you and how you feel about it. Is it a well known company/brand, either the first one or second one? Does the winning message seem genuine, in the sense that the actual company doesn't sound like a fraud? Are the messages professional looking? A few things to think about before you make up your mind.

HTH.

hdh74

Oh my, so much advice, for which I sincerely thank you all, but I'm not sure I feel any wiser lol. I think I might check with my bank for advice though, they ought to know what dangers there might be exactly.