Loteria Espana (Spanish Lottery)

I know that 0.4% of Fraudo readers are from Spain, 99.6% of you are from other parts of the world. So it’s safe to assume that if you receive an email saying you won the Spanish lottery, then it can’t possibly be true.

Scams are usually designed to excite or shock you, and to make something seem urgent. This has the unfortunate effect in most people of urging them to make rash decisions, to not think things through properly. For example, if you don’t live in Spain and haven’t been there, and haven’t purchased any kind of Spanish lottery ticket, then how could you have possibly won?

And even if you did, how do you suppose they got your email address? If you really did win, they’re most likely to send you a letter, again assuming you really  bought a ticket and registered your name and address.

So why is it that people fall for these scams?

Below is the email I received, it’s fake:

REF NO: HKD/7684/ES/97
BATCH:  YJM879/OLS/09

Winner in the 2nd category of our ONCE LOTERIA  free Net Lottery
Promotional award draws held in May, 2009. I am writing in respect to
your lotto winning prize of ONE MILLION, EUROS(1,000,000.00 Euros) which you won through the email ballot draws in the EUROMILLION Promotional Award in June, 2009 in the second Category prize winnings categories.

We wish to inform you that your total prize money of One Million
(1.000,000.00) Euro has remained unpaid by our treasury and credit office after the initial letter to your address for your payment was not successful.
You are hereby requested to contact your claims agent with your full names,telephone,batch and reference numbers respectively and immediately update your claims process for your payment.
Mr.ADRIANA WOOD,
FOREIGN TRANSFER MANAGER,
QUALITAS DE SEGUROS
MADRID SPAIN
Email:quainfo40@aim.com
TEL: 0034-615-730-594
Accept our felicitations!
Signed:Clara Casadoro
(Events,Draws and Promotion).

If you receive this email, or any similar lottery scam, please be cautious. It’s more likely to be a scam. And if possible try to discuss this with people who are new to the internet (such as the elderly), awareness is a great defence against scams.