Scam Alert: Spanish Lottery

(Phoenix, Ariz. – April 28, 2004)  Attorney General Terry Goddard is warning Arizonan's of a Spanish Lottery scam.  Letters have been sent to Phoenix area residents notifying them that they have won a Spanish lottery prize of more than $1 million.  This is a scam, and residents should not respond to this letter.

The recipient is asked to call a foreign number to claim the prize. The recipient is also instructed to keep the matter confidential until funds have been deposited into the recipients designated bank account. The recipient is told to act very quickly or the prize will be forfeited. 

Communications like this one are fraudulent! In order to win a legitimate lottery, a person must purchase a lottery ticket.  No ticket, no winnings.  The purpose of this scam is to obtain personal information like bank account information so the perpetrators can clean out accounts.

Here are some tips to help residents avoid these types of scams:

  • Beware of communications notifying you of a prize in a contest you never entered.
  • Never give personal financial information, such as a bank account number, unless you are sure you understand the transaction and you can trust the person to whom you give it.  
  • Beware a false sense of urgency and a request to keep the transaction confidential.
  • If a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is. 

Please contact the Attorney General’s Office with questions or concerns, or if you know someone who has been the victim of fraud call:

Phoenix Office Of The Attorney General
Consumer Information and Complaints 
1275 W. Washington 
Phoenix, Arizona 85007-2926 
Telephone: (602)542-5763
or 1-800-352-8431

Tucson Office Of The Attorney General
Consumer Information and Complaints 
400 W. Congress - South Building, Suite 315 
Tucson, Arizona 85701-1367 
Telephone: (520)628-6504 
or 1-800-352-8431