Action Fraud has been receiving reports of an advanced fee fraud whereby suspects phone a member of the public and claim to be calling on behalf of the UK (or British) Government Grant Department.
The cold calling fraudsters claim you have won a “Good Citizen Award” – of typically £8,000 – and that the grant can be released for a fee (of around £210).
Fortunately, very few members of the public have lost any money as a result of this scam but have reported to Action Fraud in order to help build a picture of this fraud and protect others from falling victim to it.
How to protect yourself:
- There is no genuine "Good Citizen Award" scheme in the UK that operates by cold calling “winners” and asking for an upfront fee to release a grant.
- If you receive a call that claims to represent such a scheme, it is a scam. End the phone call – do not give out any personal or financial data.
To report a fraud and receive a police crime reference number, call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use our online fraud reporting tool.
