Euromilliones Loteria International, Jose Miugel Perez Letter sent, I rang to make sure scam, very plausible, but obviously totally false. Madrid Spain

I received this letter 23 April 2008 with Spanish stamp dated 21/04/08. The letter gives a Reference No: ESC/11500369/44 and Batch No: SLI/018/26 and was headed 'AWARD NOTIFICATION, FINAL NOTICE. It then goes on to say that the results of the EUROMILLONES SPANISH SWEEPSTAKES LOTTERY/INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM held on the 19th Feb 2008 etc etc were in.

My name attached to ticket number 6533-421 with serial number 67739244 drew the lucky numbers 12-36-18-24-46-29 which consequently won the 3rd category. It then went on to say: - You have therefore been approved for a lump payout of E915,810.00C (NINE HUNDRED AND FIFTEEN THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED AND TEN EUROS) in CHEQUE credited to file Ref No. ESC/11500369/44.

I was told to contact my 'claim agent' MACOS SANZ, Foreign Operation Manager, SANTA LUCIA SEGUROS S.A on Tel No +34- 657-287-668 for processing. If I did not claim before 30th May 2008 all funds would be returned to the Ministerio de Economia y Hacienda as unclaimed.

I recognised the scam for what it was, but rang them anyway to see what they were up to. I was asked for details so that I could fill in a form. I gave my name as they already had it, but when they asked for my age, the man, who sounded as if he was in a private house, certainly not an office as he answered himself, said he must have this for his form. ( I knew I had never entered this lottery and said so and I also knew that had I been under age I would never have been allowed to enter any lottery. Also THEY had approached ME - a big No No.)

When I said that if he proceeded to ask for my bank details I would refuse and asked why he couldn't just send me a cheque as he had my address, he passed me on to his 'Boss'. This man was eminently plausible. He explained that he was the agent and had not sent the letter. He asked for the references on the letter and then proceeded to 'find' my details and the amount of my claim. He said he did not want my bank details but he would 'send me the money by DHL' and then I would have to pay 10% handling charges!!

This amused me, so I asked why he couldn't take out the 10% and then send me a cheque for the balance. He said he couldn't do that and I had to receive the cheque, bank it and then send him 10%. As if! He then said that I would have to pay for the DHL charge up front! So what were the 10% hadndling charges for I asked and quoted him the cost of the stamp on the letter. He became very agitated and said he would 'ring me back when he had contacted DHL about the fee to dispatch the cheque under secure mail'. I said why couldn't DHL ring me themselves. This 'wasn't possible' either.

This morning he rang me back. I told him I'd found his details on the internet and wanted nothing more to do with him and put the phone down.

This man was totally without morals and was eminently good at his job. If I had been very elderly, I might have been fooled by him, but the letter sent has smudged looking, very poorly printed letter head and I know that no genuine lottery company ever contacts the customer first.

This wants stopping now. It is cruel in the extreme! I'm 57 and currently unemployed. I have a good working background, but I am struggling to find work. If I was depressed or not au fait with how business works, I might well have fallen for this.

He wanted to come back to me with the charge for the DHL carriage, which I had to pay up front. With my credit/debit card details? I don't think so! I have identity fraud cover, it's only 4 odd per month and more people should have it.

Thanks for listening.

Margaret
Crewe
United Kingdom