Complaint Review: Loteria Primitiva

I recieved a letter in the mail from EL GORDO Loteria Primitiva stating that I had won money. It stated as follows:

This is to inform you on the released of the EL-GORDO SWEEPSTAKE LOTTERY PROGRAMME held on the 28th of August 2006 and the result came out on 8th of September 2006 by 11.45am. Your name attached t5o ticket number 025-11-464-992-12670 with serial number 2113-05 drew the lucky numbers 13-15-16-21-34-36 with consequently won the lottery. You have therefor been approved to a lump sum payout of USD 615,810( SIX HUNDRED AND FIFTEEN THOUSAND, EIGHT HUNDRED AND TEN UNITED STATES DOLLARS ONLY) in cash credited to file with REF. NO. EG/2551256003/01 and BATCH NO. 000750013. This is from a total cash prize of USD 10,468,770 (TEN MILLION, FOUR HUNDRED AND SIXTY-EIGHT THOUSAND, SEVEN HUNDRED AND SEVENTY US DOLLARS ONLY) Shared among 17 (Seventeen) international winners in this category CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Your fund is now deposited with a security company insured in your name. Due to a mix up of some numbers and names, we ask that you keep this award from public notice until your claim has been processed and your money remitted to your account as this is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming or unwarrented taking of an advantage of this programme by participants.

All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn for 25,000 names from Asia, Australia, Europe, New Zeland, North America, and South America as part of our international promotions programme, which we conduct once every year. We hope your lucky name will draw a bigger cash prize in the next years highstake USD 1.3 BILLION inter. lottery.

To begin your claim, please contact you claims agent, DANIEL CARLOS the foreign service manager of SANTA LUCIA SECURITY COMPANY S.A on TEL: 011-34-638-079-370/fax 011-34-911-413-035 for the processing and remittance of your winning prize money to a designated account of your choice.

Remember, all prize money must be claimed not later than FRI. 27th of OCTOBER 2006, after this date all funds will be returned to the MINISTERIA DE ECONOMIA Y HACIENDA as unclaimed. And also be informed that 10% of your lottery winning will be paid to SANTA LUCIA SECURITY COMPANY S.A. Because they entered your name for this draw and they are equally your claims agent. This (10%) will be remitted after you have received your money because this money is already insured in your name.

Note: in order to avoid unnecessary delays and complicaitons, please remember to quote your reference and batch numbers in every correspondance with us or your agent. Furthermore, should there be any change of your address, do inform your claims agent as soon as possible. Enclosed with this letteris alson a payment processing form which you should complete and return to Fax Number 011-34-911-413-035 for immediate processing of your claims.

Congratulations once again from all members of our staffs and thank you for being a part of our internationl promotions pragramme.

YOURS SINCERELY,

FRANCISCO LOPEZ
VICE PRESIDENT

Upon receiving this letter, I got online to check it out. I then found several different claims that people had submitted about the same letter. Please look over this letter to make sure that you are not being scammed!!

Ceretha
Elba, Alabama
U.S.A.