I am yet another recipient of the infamous El-Gordo Sweepstake Lottery Program by Lotera Primitiva, announcing a win in the 3rd category of $615,810 for a ticket number 025-11-464-992-750 that I never even bought! It says the money has been deposited with a Santa Lucia Security Company S.A. And insured in my name. All I have to do is fill out a form with my bank details and fax it to Juan Martinez the Foreign Service Manager on 0034-665 061 703.
It's a con - don't call them or fax them any of your details!
It's a scam with the telephone and fax surcharged calling rates - I'll tell you why.
I called a friend in Madrid, Spain (using a calling card) to ask whether he had heard of these people. Apparently, Loteria Primitiva is the name of a legitimate Lottery in Spain. It also showed up on web searches in Spanish about lotteries that they ran in Spain and over the net, but nothing about an international promotion program like this letter suggested.
My pre-paid telephone card announces the time limit for the conversation just after dialing the destination number, I had an hour and forty minutes with Spain when I called my friend in Madrid and used about five minutes of it with him. I decided to call the number 0034-610 651 650 printed at the top of the letter. The calling card pre-announced a conversation limit of just 11 minutes! It is definitely one of those numbers that charges the caller through the telephone company.
After a few rings a lady with a strong African accent answered in English and kept suggesting I should send them a fax with my bank details, and would not answer my questions properly. I only wasted a minute or so, and didn't want to give them the pleasure. I bet the fax is rigged to take ten minutes to go through!
These African con-artists, mostly Nigerian, are forever after bank account numbers and information. I know many friends who have received letters from supposedly rich African officials who had grabbed a few million dollars whilst working under the previous now fallen regime and need someone with a bank account abroad who can hide the money for them. Whether they use your account for false invoicing, money-laundering, or to set you up for extortion of some sort I don't know. Whoever takes the bait and mails his or her details - has demonstrated to these thieves that they are nave, gullible, and greedy, and as such, easy prey for blackmail and extortion. Don't be a mug and don't give them the pleasure.
I am looking for a police address in Madrid, Spain to mail the letter and an explanation to. I am also going to try and email the legitimate lottery company and warn them about what's being done in their name, so perhaps they'll be motivated to chase up these con-men and women.
Thanks to google where a link to a report from this site showed up on its first search page, I was steered to usacomplaints.com who have saved me from a lot potential hassle. Thank you guys Great idea! Great site!
Cameron
Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada
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