I received a posh looking cream envelope in this morning’s post. It was addressed in a neat, classy-looking type, official and respectable. I opened it with mild curiosity and was quite amazed at the contents.

It seems that yours truly had just won a prize in some foreign lottery that took place way back in March! What great news. According to the letter I had won in the 3rd category lottery and my prize was well over 900,000 Euros!

here is a copy of the letter:

…………..Award Notification

We are happy to inform you of this year’s release of the El Gordo Sweepstake International Program, held on the 27th March 2008. Due to the mix up of numbers and names, the reasults were later released on the 9th of May, 2008. Your name was entered as an alternative number attached to reference number HD/0999/177ESP with, Batch number:12115-04/EU drew the lucky numbers 9-13-21-30-31-44, which consequently won the lottery in the 3rd category.

You have therefore been approved to a lump sum payment of 915,810.00 Euros in cash. This is from a total cash prize of 13,868,770.00 Euros shared among the (seventeen international winners in this campaign). Congratulations!!!

Your fund is now deposited with the Bank and insured in your name. Due to false practices, we ask that you keep your award information strictly from public notice, until your claim has been processed and money remitted to your possession as this is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming or unwarranted abuse of this program by unscrupulous individuals.

All participants were selected through computer ballot system drawn from (ONE Million) names from Asia, America, Africa, Europe, and South Pacific, as part of our International promotion program. We hope your lucky name will draw a bigger cash prize in the subsequent programs ahead.

To begin your lottery claims, please contact your agent, Pedro Gonzalez, The foreign Service Manager, La Oriental De Seguros S.A.Company on Tel No: 0034 691 783 669, Fax 0034 911 014 214 for the precessing and remittance of your prize winning money to a designated bank account choice of yours.
remember all prize money must be claimed no later than 23rd May 2008. Any claims not made before this date will be returned to the MINISTERIO DE ECONOMIA Y HACIENDA as unclaimed fund.

And also be informed that 10% of you winnings belongs to (LA ORIENTAL DE SEGUROS S.A) because they are the promotion company that bought your ticket and played the lottery on your name, this ten percent will be paid after you have received your award prize(money) in your designated bank account of your choice. Three (3) certificates are to be issued to you by the Local Government Tax Authority, Ministry of Finance, and Ministry Of Interior, to back up your winning. Your agent will direct you further on the administrative requirement to enable the bank to release your fund to the designated choice of yours.

NOTE: in order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please remember to quote your reference and batch numbers in every correspondence with your agent comapany. Furthermore, should there be any change of address, do inform your claims agent company as soon as possible, and please be informed that the original copy of this letter is with your agent PEDRO GONZALEZ, so do contact him on Tel: 0034 691 783 669.

Congratulations once again!!!!

So, what to do now? Do I contact Pedro Gonzalez with all my particulars and details of where to send the prize money or should I do the smart thing and bin his letter?

I am sorry to say that so many people just like you and me have fallen for this sales patter and lost huge amounts of money. This is one of the most common scams today and the perpetrators are fishing for your details in order to steal your identity. With the details that they obtain from you they go ahead to commit all sorts of criminal fraud including obtaining credit, loans, bank accounts, phone contracts and other services all the while claiming to be you. Let us get real. You will never win anything on a lottery that you did not actually enter. It is not going to happen.

Over the years The National Lottery has proved to be as good as any when people have fancied trying their luck. It is said that the “Lotto” is the most successful lottery in the world with a greater share of its income going to the prize fund and also to good causes. It has created a significant amount of lotto millionaires. The owners of the game are constantly finding new ways to make playing easier. You can open a National lottery

account and start playing today.

Play Lotto online – we’ll check your numbers for you