Have I really won the lottery?

Hi all,

Just got a letter through the post (in Reading Berkshire), from Spain...

The letter head is ABC.es and the title says

INT'L AWARD PROMOTION 2011/2012 - La primitiva europa

LOTTERIA DE NAVIDAD 2011 INTERNATIONAL SWEEP STAKE

RE: AWARD CLAIM NOTIFICATION FINAL NOTICE

Basically, it says, that I have won a share of the El-Gordo De La Primitiva  Sweep Stake Lottery/International award program, held in madrid on the 22nd Dec 2011 and that I must claim the money by 17 Feb 2012.

I am to fill out a claims form and fax it to them (form asks for my banks details).

Anyone else got one of these or shall I tell by boss where to stick his job now?

I think you will find it's a con trying to get bank details. Did you buy a ticket?

Guy

I was in Spain a few months ago, but cannot remember buying a ticket!

The letter says that 56940 tickets were purchased by Andalucia Vista, and that all participants were selected through a computer ballot and my name was attached to ticket number 054-9879 blah blah, serial number 01-4231.

 Hi, and congratulations if you have won !!!

Personally, I would check out online and see if you can find the results of the draw, I found the website a long time ago and cant remember what the website was, tho Im sure theres others with the results.

Please dont give out your bank details without confirmation  !!!!!

  Regards.

This is the web link that it says I can check my ticket!

http://loteria.abc.es

its all looking good!

Have a look at this link.

Guy

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_2475.html

 Thats great then, but still check it out well, too many scams going on at the moment.

 You are welcome round for a drink if you have won !!!!  lol.

 Best of luck to you.

Actually Steve and Anita, its beginning to look a bit fishy..the letter says there was a mix up and that I should keep it quiet for security reasons...lol

Damm, wish I'd not quit my job before posting!

Thanks for the link Guy, so many things on that letter are also on that link.

What I dont get is, they are not asking for amy money upfront, but they are asking for my bank details. How can they take money out of an account by just having the account numbers and DOB or am I being naive?

They get you a number of ways.

1) The fax number they give you could be a premium rate charging number

2) They go to/call your bank and pretend to be you

3) They will try and build a relationship with you and get you to "pay the taxes" upfront. It happened to somebody we know and she lost £3000. A sorry lesson.

Guy

ahhh well, was nice dreaming for a while!

I shall file it in the bin..

Better go and beg for my job back...

A lottery win wouldn't contact you - you would contact them and they wouldn't need bank details.

Nothing legit should ever ask for bank details.

Vicky

You have done the right thing filing the letter in the B1N file.

This is a classic way to get your details and you would of ended up with an empty account.

Almost all e-mails etc. offering you money for nothing,is too good to be true and that is what this is.I would suggest to anyone who receives a notification of money for you for something you know anything about is to check web sites like   Hoax Slayer who check dodgy e-mails etc. and let you know why they are hoax,their are several sights that do this and you dont have to pay a penny.

Consider yourself lucky you thought to check this out first,you were a lot wiser and a lot richer than many people who have always dreamt of getting a windfall and now regret it

Hi Wizard2, yep I've always been a bit suspicious when someone offers you something for nothing. These people really know how to catch their victims, they use peoples dreams of a debt free lifestyle against them, even savvy people can sometimes get the pound signs in their eyes and throw caution to the wind with the "maybe its real..." type thoughts.

Thanks everyone for your replies.

 Its incredible with all the press about these types of lottery scams that people still even believe it!!, Its a classic 419 Nigerian scam

so NO, You have not one. Why dont you check the lottery ticket numbers that you have bought on the official spanish lottery website?

I mean you did actually buy some lottery tickets?

 Now that i have read one of your prevous posts Eva, you mention you do not remember buying a lottery ticket, well i think everyone would remember, YOU CANNOT WIN IF YOU DIDNT PURCHASE!!!,,  The spanish lotteries do not send out letters!

Look, they send send out millions of these letters knowing a small minority will bite, call it greed, call it gullible, call it naive, they hook their victims in with these tactics, dont be their next victim.

I wake up most MORNINGS with a suspicious e mail some of them are hilarious

Sgt pepper of the US national guard has left you 10 trillion dollars in GOLD BULLION in his secret bunker in IRAQ please forward 50 US dollars to release your asset from IRAQI quarantine

THIS is a MATTER of URGENCY

BLAH BLAH BLAH

They must think we are AS STUPID as them

Rod

 Hi Eva, When I lived in Spain I had a win through a friend who I was glad talked me into it, I think we had a 100th of a ticket or something silly but it was still a goodly amount, not enough to buy a villa but more than enough to buy a car.  However I am positive I was sent a cheque. I sort of remember receiving it in a nice official envelope and it being a very official cheque / draft.  it was maybe 20 years ago so I'm sure things are different but Premium Bond wins still come in cheque form (hmm reminds me they don't come as often as they did) so I'm pretty sure this is a scam.  I'm amazed no-one has replied who has won more recently as there are lots of prizes each year. One thing though, I am positive they would write to you and not email you.

Hello

If you Google part of the message, you may find that other people have said it's a scam.

Les