Conmen Target Scottish Football Fans

WARNING: THE EMAIL MENTIONED IS A FAKE AND MAY CONTAIN A VIRUS!!!

Scottish Football supporters (Dundee United supporters in particular) are being targeted by conmen in a new email scam.

Supporters receive emails titled "Congratulations, Youve Won", which claim to be from the official club website.

The email tells you that you've won an automated Dundee United internet lottery, congratulating you on winning around £100,000.

It goes on to claim that your email address was obtained from the clubs database of personal & business email addresses, but it's probably using email addresses found on football websites or by stealing email addresses out of your friends email software.

You only have to reply with a few personal details to claim your winnings, but the email address provided is fake and the information received may be used to commit identity theft.

If you actually do reply to an email, its likely you will receive a request to pay a small fee to confirm your prize winnings.

As with similar email scams, it uses the promise of large amounts of money to con you into sending in smaller amounts to garuntee your winnings - but its money you will never see again.

Millions of people fall for similar scams each year, with £35m lost to internet fraud in the US during 2002 alone and the annual figure has increased dramatically every year since.

Dundee United's official website is www.dundeeunitedfc.co.uk, but these conmen are using the domain www.dundeeunitedfc.com to make it appear like the emails are endorsed by the club.

Some of the emails arrived during the early hours of Sunday 17th December and appear to also contain an email virus, an email worm - which once it gets into your computer can replicate itself and send copies to all other emails in your address book.

Supporters of all Scottish football clubs are warned to be on the look out for similar emails, and should not email back with any personal or sensitive information - and also to make sure their virus software is uptodate.

The email even contains a photograph of Dundee United chairman Eddie Thompson, and also the official Dundee United lottery logos to back up its claims it's a genuine email.

However - like the old saying goes - if it sounds too good to be true, then it usually is!!!

The full text of the email is as follows:-

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