August 19 - While it's no secret that lotteries all over the world offer
hundreds of millions of people hope and provide a lucky few with riches far
beyond their dreams, every so often the lottery can be a cause of real heartache
and loss, as an unfortunate 82-year-old widow from England found out recently.
When the 82-year-old pensioner from the city of Blackburn was informed by a
group of Spanish fraudsters that she had won 500,000 euros in the Spanish
Eurolottery, her happiness was short-lived. In just a few months she
realized that they had used the lottery as front to con her out of her 35,000
life savings.
Her lottery nightmare began over a year ago when she received a letter informing
her that she had won 500,000 euros in the Spanish Eurolottery, but that she
needed to send money to 'release' her winnings. Believing the letter to be
genuine, the elderly widow sent off checks each week for a period of months.
Said the widow's son. 'At first the so-called Spanish Eurolottery asked
my mother for 7,000 pounds to cover a Spanish lottery tax, which she sent over.
Following that they came up with a different reason every week for her to send
more and more money, until eventually she has used up all her life savings.'
Her family only discovered that the fraud had been committed after they arranged
for her son to become her financial executor in the event that she became ill,
and went though her financial statements. She told them that she didn't want the
'Spanish Eurolottery jackpot' for herself, but for them.
'Mum told us that she wanted the Spanish Eurolottery money to help set up the
family and pay off our mortgages. While she got suckered by the fraudsters, I am
very angry at her bank, because surely someone should have asked why a pensioner
was sending off large checks to Spain every week?,' said her son.
'She's basically got nothing left and while we'll make sure she's okay, I know
this must be happening to other elderly, vulnerable people in England that do
not have the support of family. I've no doubt that this Spanish Eurolottery
scam, and others like it, have sent many elderly people to an early grave.'
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