Scam devastates couple

Nov 23 2007 by Peter Leathley, The Journal

A COUPLE who lost their life savings when they fell prey to a Spanish lottery scam warned others last night to beware of letters promising riches and delivering only misery.

Edward Smedley, 69, and his wife Margaret, 59, thought they had scooped a prize of more than £500,000.

Instead they spent their life savings and took a bank loan to pay £9,500 to tricksters in the belief they were covering insurance and administration costs to transfer the funds to England. The couple, of Yoden Road, Peterlee, have urged others to be extremely wary of letters saying recipients are in line for a top prize from a European lottery organisation.

Mrs Smedley said: “We are not in the best of health. We have lost all our savings through this and now we can’t even afford to buy Christmas presents.”

Det Insp Geoff Smith, head of the Durham Police Economic Crime Unit, said several versions of the letter had flooded into the region. “The Smedleys are counting the cost of their supposed good fortune and I believe there may be many others who have paid out to facilitate the transfer of such ‘winnings’ and have finally realised they have been duped.”

He said two versions of the letter featured a photograph of the same happy couple receiving a cheque. All have been sent from Madrid. The letters say the recipient’s name has been selected by a computer. They ask that the win is kept secret and advise people to fill in a form detailing bank and personal details so a money transfer can be sent to them.

Then, when a person is hooked, they ask for money to transfer funds and cover administrative costs.

A telephone number provided for queries is not a landline to an office, but an anonymous pay-as-you-go mobile.

Mr Smith said: “The only people to win in this lottery are the crooks who are sending out the scam. It must cost them around 50p to send each letter and we believe letters are being distributed throughout Europe.

“Certainly there has been a steady flow of them to County Durham and I expect that will continue up to the festive season, when probably more people will reply thinking they have won a fortune in time for Christmas.

“The reality can’t be stated too often. You get nothing for nothing. Don’t waste a penny replying to these people. Hit them in their pockets by ignoring these letters.”

He said the few people who had complained – or sent out money in the hope of a prize – could be the tip of a large iceberg.

“Sadly, this is happening throughout the country. People are being duped and cheated probably every day. There is little we can do locally, but the Spanish authorities have been alerted and hopefully will take action.”