LOTTERY SCAM
WARNING FROM LOTERIAS Y APUESTAS DEL ESTADO
Loterķas y Apuestas de Estado (LAE) would like to inform the general public
that a number of groups of criminals, of various nationalities, are using the
prestige and the commercial names of the Spanish Lottery by fraudulent means in
several countries, particularly in countries in the south-west of Asia and the
Pacific, and countries on the American continent. They move with ease around the
whole world and use mobile telephones, PO boxes, provisional or false addresses
(including real addresses of official Spanish organisations), as well as names
that bring to mind prestigious institutions ("el Gordo", la Primitiva", "European
Lottery Commission", etc.)
They also forge the printed sheets and signatures of various banks. In order
to carry out the fraud, the procedure that is generally followed consists of
informing the potential victim that they have been the lucky winner of a
substantial prize (even if they have not participated in any draw), although
they cannot collect this prize until they have paid an amount going towards the
taxes, bank costs, delivery costs or insurance processing, etc. Usually, the
fraudster warns their potential victim that the deadline to pay these charges is
very soon and that their right to collect the prize is about to expire. Spanish
Lottery prizes are always free of taxes, and the Spanish Police has already
arrested and subjected to legal procedures some of the members of groups who
were operating from Spain. Therefore, when you are offered "prizes" that seem to
be linked to the Spanish Lottery, DO NOT PAY any amount. Likewise, we would be
grateful if you could inform local authorities of these crimes.
Source: Loterias y Apuestas del Estado. Ministerio de Hacienda (Spain)
http://onlae.terra.es/avisos/avimpor0502ingles.htm |
