Recently, we have noted, in Trinidad and Tobago and other countries in the Caribbean, a significant increase in fraud attempts, related to false Lottery prizes. For these reasons, the Embassy of Spain considers it important to share with the public the following release by Loterías y Apuestas del Estado.
Recientemente hemos constatado, en Trinidad y Tobago y otros países del Caribe, un incremento importante de los intentos de estafa relacionados con falsos premios de la Lotería. Es por este motivos que la Embajada de España considera importante compartir con el público el siguiente comunicado difundido por Loterías y Apuestas del Estado:
Loterías 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 organisation), 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 and send a copy of the false documentation to the following address:
Loterías y Apuestas del Estado. Legal Advice Service
c/ Guzmán el Bueno nº137
28003 Madrid,
or to fax number 34 91 533 51 36
Click
here for an example of the said letter.