Does this ever really happen IRL? (Poss scam)

[Stuckinthemiddle1990]

My MIL has just received a phone call from her insurance company telling her that she has won a very expensive, very exotic all expenses paid holiday for two people in their monthly prize draw. She said she does enter random things with them when she gets emails from them, but can't remember if this was one of them as she deletes them once she's done.

The girl on the end of the phone sounded extremely genuine and despite MILs protestations to the girl that it is of course a scam and a wind up the girl was insistent that it wasn't and that she had won. She didn't ask MIL for any personal details and said she would put everything in an email to her (we are still waiting).

She googled the number she was called from and it is the offices head office. I also had a look on their website and prize draws for similar destinations are something they do on the regular.

If it all checks out then quite frankly I am absolutely buzzing for her. She lost her DH last year and hasn't been coping particularly well and I really think this could be the most amazing experience for her......

....but these kind of things never happen IRL do they??!! How do we check this all out??

Has it happened to anyone in MN world and it NOT be dodgy??

@AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair

Yeah. To be fair after I copied and pasted everything from the email I thought I could have just linked it!! 🤣🤣

Omg bless her, have an amazing time! 🤩 xxx

A relative of mine won something similar.

It's good marketing for the company - your MIL, if she's anything like my auntie, will tell her family, her hairdresser, the ladies at her mah jong club, the barmaid & other regulars at the pub where her mah jong club go for a post game pint, the postman, the next door neighbours, random fellow dog walkers, Facebook...

If the company get twenty more people joining their mailing list, three of whom then book holidays, it'll be a result for them.

Obviously due diligence is called for eg. checking phone numbers & emails are legit, but it's definitely a thing!

How lovely for her. Hope she has a blast.

Ranthambore is straight up one of the best places I've ever been. Tigers lazing around what looks like the walled ruins of a capability brown-style stately home and it's vast lakes and grounds.

Ring the insurance company from a different phone and get the number off their website. I think it sounds genuine though if they have emailed her and provided insurance no without her providing any details.

Fingers crossed it is real

Do not do anything until you’ve established it’s not a scam, it’s unbelievable how many people get caught out from things that look legit.

Use the FCA register to find the contact details for the genuine insurance company then use them to verify it’s real - register.fca.org.uk/s/

It screams "Marigold/Dench" given they are both in their 70's and divorced, but this could not have come at a better time for her.

I could burst with enthusiasm and excitement. Lead traveller has to be over 60, but 2nd passenger only needs to be 40.......I was tempted to ask..🤣....how utterly incredible. She's already spoken to her friend after getting the email. She cried. Not everything in this world is shite after all.

Holding firm on the checking everything out tomorrow line though...although I have pretty much convinced myself it's legit, but that's what they do isn't it.

Not once have they asked for any information. I'm seeing her tomorrow morning and will call on her behalf and get her to give permission to speak to me. Arrgghh!!!

That would be a pretty sophisticatd scam to be able to back into the insurance company system to get the contact details and policy number of the OP's mum

For what purpose? If they can do that they have access to masses of data, no need to invent fake holidays.

To ensure that the OP is calling a genuine number for the insurance company, the numbers on the FCA’s Register have been verified by the firms themselves. Nothing to do with scammers getting the policy number from their systems.

I once won a holiday with an airline, return flights for two and four nights accommodation, it was to celebrate a new route. It was all legit although much less exotic than it sounded, we didn't get upgraded or anything. They just sent me an email!

I've done that exact holiday. It was fantastic!

Good for you, @Stuckinthemiddle1990 glad you're checking it for her. Fingers crossed all checks out!

Reminds me of when I won online bingo. They called me to tell me and I told the woman very politely that no thank you, this is a scam. Took much googling and phone calls to confirm that she was in fact telling the truth 🤣

Fantastic- sounds genuine to me, so fingers crossed it is and that she and her friend have an amazing time!

That seems unnecessarily complicated when Saga have contact details all over their website and no doubt on all the historic correspondence that the OP's mum has

@GladysGladioli

Oh that's so good to hear ❤

They're not asking for money "to release" the prize or anything daft like that then it's genuine I'd say

I’m happy to be be proved wrong, all I’m suggesting is that the OP checks it out using details she can be confident are genuine.

I've won all sorts of competitions and never quite believe them when first told. Do the checks tomorrow but it does look like she has won an amazing holiday

@IWasFunBeforeMum

No nothing. All she has to do is call the travel advisor who sent the email to book the date. That's all. The only way they would need/want financial stuff is by taking payment for the visa....which they have recommended a legitimate visa site for a discount.

It can happen.
Many moons ago I was taking a shortcut through M&S and was asked if I wanted a store card, I said no and the lady said you can decline the card but there's a free prize draw for a holiday.
Me being a total wuss gave her my details and a month later I got a call to say I had won an all inclusive week in the canaries.
Totally legit, I collected my tickets from the store and the manager shook my hand (before emails)
Oh.....and I did decline the store card.

Definitely call the company direct to confirm (from a number of one of the letters or official website, not the fishy ones).

Fingers crossed this is all legit!

It's absolutely important to check the details, but these things do happen.

I won two weeks in LA/ Vegas
I won a car a few years later
I didn't believe either of the calls initially either.

I’d be wary in handing over my passport details, credit card details etc - hope it’s not a scam but errr on the side of caution