El Gordo Spanish Lottery

Advance fee fraud

The El Gordo lottery scam has been doing the rounds for years.

Previously recipients were told they had won millions in the genuine Spanish lottery El Gordo and a 'processing fee' was needed to release the money.  A number of people sent money even though they did not remember entering the lottery.

Recipients are now told that their name was entered into the lottery through an international promotions scheme. Rather than a processing fee upfront, the agents ask for bank account number, address, date of birth, next of kin and a signature so they can pay the money directly into your account. Our contributors report that recipients who respond receive follow-up letters or emails requesting processing and transfer fees which can amount to thousands of dollars. Your personal information can also be used for identity fraud.

Scams of a similar type include:

• African Development Bank
• Airline Disasters

For more scams of this type and others, visit the full list of scams by type page.