Island Life Magazine Ltd February/March 2009 | Page 22

life

PROPERTY

Watch out there's a
scam about
Contact: Mark or Terence Willey
Please do not hesitate to
contact Mark Willey on 01983
611888 or Terence Willey on
01983 875859.
So you’ve just received a
letter through the post telling
you you’ve won the Spanish
Lottery. Well done you!
How do you get your hands
on the money? Answer you
don’t, you probably didn’t even
enter the competition in the
first place.
Scams can be very
convincing. They often
give the impression of being
‘official’ by stating that they
are endorsed by various
bodies or even part of a
national government scheme.
Documentation I have seen
relating to the classic Spanish
Lottery scam had official
stamps and seals all over it and
it confirmed that the numbers
had been drawn in accordance
with Spanish Legislation and
was endorsed by the Spanish
Government.
More often than not it is the
elderly and vulnerable that
are targeted by such scams.
Often other members of the
family find it very difficult to
talk sense to the person who
has become embroiled into
the scam in the pursuit of the

Mark & Terence Willey

“big payout” or “Winning the
Big One”. There have been
instances were individuals
have spent huge sums of
money, given away there
private personal details, been
defrauded, got into serious
debt, and even suffered health
wise due to the stress that
certain scams can cause. This
is not only stressful to the
individual but can also cause
great anxiety and stress to
those who love and care for the
person who has been caught up
in it all.
So how can you tell a scam
from a genuine good deal? The
following should assist;
1. If it’s too good to be true, it
probably is! Ignore it and walk
away.
2. NEVER accept being
pressured into making a quick
decision. If the person or
organisation you’re dealing
with will not give you time
to think about something,
then walk away from it. And
never sign things ‘on the
spot’ ask if you can take the
documentation home to read
it in your own time and where
necessary take advice as you
may discover you have entered

into a binding contract.
3. Research, check out the
company or individual your
dealing with, browse the
internet, talk to friends and
family about it? Often a ‘third
person’s’ perspective will
highlight what doesn’t seem
right about what you’re being
offered or asked to enter into.
4. It’s never too late, don’t be
embarrassed if you have been
scammed, hold your hands
up, and take advice on how to
correct it.
Rogue traders, junk mail
(including unsolicited e-mails),
sales calls in person or over the
telephone and right up to large
scale organised multi-national
frauds can and does affect
us all. If you have concerns
yourself or about someone
else then please do not hesitate
to contact Terence Willey on
[phone] or Mark Willey
on [phone] without
obligation.

Terence Willey & Co
Tel: [phone]
www.terencewilley.co.uk
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