The National Consumer Agency (NCA) has issued a warning about a bogus Spanish lottery scam for which letters are currently circulating.
The consumer agency says it has received numerous calls from consumers concerned about the number of bogus letters circulating in Ireland that advise recipients they have won huge cash prizes.
Ann Fitzgerald, the consumer agency's acting chief executive, advised consumers who receive notifications of massive winnings in foreign lotteries to avoid giving personal details for their "prize" to be collected.
"Irish consumers should not be caught unawares. The letters are fraudulent and no-one should provide personal details to strangers in order to collect nonexistent prizes," she said.
The official Spanish lottery has placed a warning on its website alerting consumers to the scam.
"Remember that you can never win a competition you did not enter. If you are not in, you can't win and if you are contacted about winning a lottery where you did not buy a ticket, you should ignore it," Ms Fitzgerald said.
Further advice on avoiding such scams is available on www.consumerconnect.ie the NCA website.