Madrid, Spain Lottery Scam

The Office of the Tulare County District Attorney, Phil Cline, District Attorney, the Elder Abuse Prosecution Program and the Elder Abuse Advocacy and Outreach Program issue the following warning: A business alleging to be handling the El-Gordo De La Primitiva lottery program from Madrid, Spain has been mailing letters of notification to residents of Tulare County. The letters indicate the recipient has won a large sum of money, requests secrecy, states a deadline date and asks the recipient to contact an agent of a security company to process the claim. In addition to the phone call, a payment processing form is to be faxed to the security company. Bank account and next of kin information is required. 

We recommend anyone receiving Loteria Primitiva letters to not respond in any manner. Banking information such as account numbers, routing numbers and next of kin are the open doors for criminals to electronically steal money and identity. Such information should never be given to persons or companies whom you do not have a trusted relationship. We further recommend if you are contacted by mail, email or over the phone about any overseas lottery or any type of lottery they have not entered give no information and call your local police department, the Sheriff’s Department, or the District Attorney’s Office. If you are a senior citizen, in addition, you may also call Tulare County Adult Protective Services (559) 733-6585 or the District Attorney’s Office Elder Abuse Unit at (559) 636-5471 and then call the Phone Busters hotline toll free at 1(888) 495-8501. More information may be obtained by calling the District Attorney’s Elder Abuse Advocacy and Outreach Program at (559) 636-5471 or log on to www.phonebusters.com