Amber Valley residents are warned to be vigilent after several people have received letters from the 'Euromillions Commonwealth of Nations Online Lottery' advising them of surprise wins.

Local residents have had letters claiming they’ve won a cash prize in some lottery, all they have to do to claim the prize is fill in their bank details. This is clearly a scam and anyone receiving such a letter should treat it with the caution it deserves.

Under no circumstances should anyone give out their bank details in this way

Further information about protecting yourself from financial crime is available from the Action Fraud hotline on 0300 123 2040, or visit www.actionfraud.org.uk They can provide up to date advice on current scams and can identify whether a scenario is fraudulent.

Top tips to protect yourself from fraud:

• Do not give personal details including banking details to anyone you do not know following unexpected requests for money made either in the street, on the doorstep, over the telephone or on the internet as these details can be used to steal your identity

• Consider registering with the Telephone Preference Service to stop unsolicited telephone calls. This is a free service. Further details can be obtained from www.tpsonline.org.uk or 020 7291 3320. Registration can be made on line or by phone 0845 070 0707

• Consider registering with the Mailing Preference Service as this supports the right to choose the mail you wish to receive. Further details can be obtained from www.mpsonline.org.uk or 020 7291 3310. Registration can be made on line or by phone 0845 703 4599. This is a free service.

• If you are suspicious that you’ve been targeted in a fraudulent telephone call this can be reported to Action on Fraud at www.actionfraud.org.uk or telephone 0300 123 2040.

• If you’ve lost money call your local police on 101

• Beware of cold calls even when the caller appears to have personal information such as your address or bank account details. Legitimate callers will never be offended if you ask to call back in order to confirm their identity; when doing so always use a phone number that you’ve obtained from previous correspondence or an independent source such as phone book or an official website.

Please use social networking to get this message out to as wide an audience as possible – the more people who know about it the less chance of them becoming a victim.