NS&I has responded after a string of Premium Bonds customers got in touch to say they had received a notification they had won a prize weeks after the October draw.
X user, which was formerly known as Twitter, Dave Davies (@gripdave) asked the group: “Just had an email claiming to be from NS&I telling me I’ve won a prize which I thought was odd being middle of the month also asking to click on a link and enter my NS&I number. Can you confirm that it’s a scam?”
NS&I said in response: “We’re sorry due to a technical issue there was a delay in sending out the email notification. Your prize payout was not affected.”
Another user, Fiona Martin (@fionat29), also wanted to check a message purportedly from the group was real. She asked: “How can I tell if an email from you is actually from you? My husband has just had one but it’s very late in the month. Do you ask for the holder’s number?”
The savings provider explained: “When we send a prize notification we will link you to our prize checker page. This is where you can enter your holder’s number to see if you have won.”
The big prize winners for each month’s Premium Bonds draw are always published on the first working day of the month.
This means at the very latest, these results will be available to view on the third day of the month, including the two jackpot prizes for £1million.
Another bemused customer recently contacted NS&I over X to ask why all the prizes seemed to go to one region.
After the October draw, X user @gpmailbox asked the provider: “It seems that almost all higher value #PremiumBond prizes go to the western side (North-West-South) of England. Are you using dummy bond numbers too to keep the odds of winning steady?”
The group said in response: “There couldn’t be any based on how the draw works. ERNIE generates numbers and numbers and we match the numbers to numbers held by customers, therefore ‘dummy numbers’ cannot be entered into the draw.”
The person was also curious to know what happens if ERNIE generates a number that does not match a Bond held by a customer.
NS&I said: “We generate more numbers than we need, in case there are ineligible winners. However, we will always generate enough numbers for all prizes.
“So all prizes are matched to winning numbers. There are no dummy numbers.”
The prize draw for November is due to take place on November 1.
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