Liverpool FC scam kicks off

A new internet scam that pretends people have won money from Liverpool Football Club is doing the rounds.

The messages claim that recipients are one of 40 lucky winners to have won £500,000.

The emails say that because the football club's financial success exceeded expectations, a total of £20m was freed up as an "end of year promotion", and that the recipient has been randomly chosen by a computer as one of the winners.

Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for computer security firm Sophos, said: “This email scam campaign is using the name of one of the world's greatest football clubs in an attempt to steal people's money and identities. Everyone should be suspicious if they are unexpectedly told they have won a fortune.

“Computer users who fall for this trick risk handing confidential details about themselves into the hands of fraudsters. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”

For information on how you can protect yourself against this and other online scams, go to: http://www.sophos.com/spaminfo/bestpractice/phishing.html