Fake jackpot winners on social media: the scam that borrows real names

In January 2019, a week after Frances and Patrick Connolly won £115 million on EuroMillions and days after they were named, Which? found a fake YouTube channel and a misspelt Twitter account in Patrick Connolly's name. They promised a share of the jackpot to 50 people once the channel reached 10,000 subscribers. When one was shut down, another appeared.

Camelot, which ran The National Lottery then, confirmed the accounts were fakes and said impersonations of winners and of the lottery itself were common. Which? warned that such accounts can be used to gather email addresses, phone numbers and bank details, and that people who reply can end up on lists passed to other fraudsters.

The pattern repeats: a message says you have won, or been chosen to share someone else's win, then asks for a fee, a tax or personal details before the money can be released. The Gambling Commission lists warning signs including requests to send money abroad, call premium-rate numbers or pay a person rather than a secure site, spelling mistakes, emails from personal addresses and links you are asked to click.

Genuine lotteries do not ask for payment before handing over a prize, and you cannot win a draw you did not enter. Don't reply, pay or share personal details. If you have already paid, contact your bank and report it to Report Fraud (formerly Action Fraud) at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040.

A sudden win is not a plan. If gambling is causing you problems, BeGambleAware.org offers free, confidential help.

Sources

• Which?: Fraudsters impersonating the EuroMillions winners are promising a chunk of the £115m jackpot (8 January 2019) (which.co.uk)
• Gambling Commission: Lottery scams and fraud (gamblingcommission.gov.uk)
• Gambling Commission: Winning a prize in a lottery that you did not enter (gamblingcommission.gov.uk)
• GOV.UK: Report Fraud, new service from City of London Police (December 2025) (gov.uk)