The European Consumer Centre has, within one day, been contacted by two persons, who have received notifications on their mobile phone of a €170,000 lottery win. The text message states that to claim their prize they must first pay a delivery fee of €500–1,000. The sender of the message requests that the payment be remitted through Western Union, a company offering money transfer services.
The European Consumer Centre wishes to emphasise that the message is a hoax and to warn consumers against acting on the offer. The delivery fee should not be paid under any circumstances, as it is practically impossible to reclaim the money. The ECC also advises consumers not to reply to the message.