Warning over ‘fake’ Twitter accounts offering £50k from EuroMillions winners

The National Lottery has issued a warning after it emerged fake Twitter accounts of EuroMillions winners Frances and Patrick Connolly were offering £50k to 50 ‘lucky’ followers.

More than 46,000 people have followed an unverified twitter account for Patrick Connolly, winner of the £115 million EuroMillions jackpot.

Frances and Patrick Connolly won the first draw of 2019 by purchasing a Lucky Dip on New Year’s Day. They publicly spoke about sharing their newfound wealth with 50 close family members and friends, but didn’t mention a Twitter competition.

Although the National Lottery has not confirmed whether Mr and Mrs Connolly use social media, the suspect account misspelled Patrick Connolly’s surname which has aroused suspicion.  

The National Lottery tweeted: “We are aware that there have been some fake profiles set up. If you see any that you believe to be fake, please report them to Twitter.”

In a statement, they also warned: “if something looks too good to be true, it probably is.”

“Winners of The National Lottery and other lotteries are sometimes falsely imitated on the internet in a variety of ways – often to try to make people believe they are going to be entitled to money.”

Set up just five days ago, the suspect profile contains no pictures of the couple other than those made public after their big lotto win.

According to the account’s tweets, three of the 50 twitter ‘winners’ have already been drawn.

However, these accounts are also suspect as one winner appears to have no tweeting history.

When asked about protection for the Connollys amid the media frenzy and public attention, the National Lottery said: “All major winners have access to a winners adviser, who can help guide them through the process of winning and, should they take it, publicity.”

“There are also tools available via social media platforms to report those impersonating your identity, which we would recommend.”

Twitter has a strict Impersonation Policy which says "accounts portraying another person in a confusing or deceptive manner may be permanently suspended".

However, both accounts claiming to be Patrick Connolly are still active so lotto fans are being urged to be vigilant and report them.

Meanwhile, the couple may now have millions in the bank but won’t upgrade their daughter’s flight home from New Zealand.

One of the couple’s twin daughters, who is doing her master’s degree in New Zealand, will not be flying first class on her return trip back home.

Instead of the upgraded flights, their 24-year-old daughter will instead have her hostel upgraded to a hotel near the airport she is flying from, reports the NZ Herald .

While they plan on giving money to friends and family, Frances has already decided to support St Francis FC, the community football club in Hartlepool she used to work at.

Trevor Robinson, 38, who succeeded Frances as club secretary, said: “I’m overwhelmed. It feels like we’ve won the lottery, too.

“She’s sharing her happiness with a grassroots club for children and families.

“At the moment we’ve got three cabins and a portaloo that can’t be cleaned because we can’t get the vehicle to it.”

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