Do not trust emails claiming you won the "La Primitiva" lottery

What kind of email is "La Primitiva Lottery Promotions Program 2023"?

After inspecting the "La Primitiva Lottery Promotions Program 2023" email, we determined that it is spam. This fake letter is presented as an "official winning notification", claiming that the recipient has won close to one million euros.

It must be emphasized that these claims are false, and this mail is not associated with El Gordo de la Primitiva or any other legitimate lotteries or entities.

Typically, spam emails of this kind target personally identifiable information or seek to trick recipients into paying scammers.

"La Primitiva Lottery Promotions Program 2023" email scam overview

The spam email with the subject "Winning Notification" (may vary) informs the recipient that they have been entered and won the "LA PRIMITIVA LOTTERY PROMOTIONS PROGRAM 2023".

The lucky numbers won them the 3rd category of the lottery – 985,950 EUR (or a part of this sum, as the scam letter is unclear whether this amount is to be shared amongst the eleven international winners). The recipient is instructed to initiate communication with their assigned contact to begin the claims process.

As mentioned in the introduction, all the information provided by this email is false, and this mail is in no way associated with El Gordo de la Primitiva, Loterías y Apuestas del Estado, or any other genuine entities.

Fake lottery emails often aim to acquire recipients' personally identifiable information, such as names, ages, occupations, addresses, contact details, etc. This sensitive data can be used to further personalized scams or to steal the victims' identities.

Additionally or alternatively, this spam mail may request that the recipients pay to receive their winnings. This could be framed as taxes or transfer fees.

Cyber criminals prefer difficult-to-trace methods for obtaining money, e.g., cryptocurrencies, pre-paid vouchers, gift cards, or cash hidden in packages and shipped. This diminishes the chances of persecution and fund retrieval by the victims. Hence, spam emails of this kind carry with them the threat of severe privacy issues and significant financial losses.

If you have already disclosed your private data to scammers (e.g., ID card details, passport scans/photos, credit card numbers, etc.) – immediately contact relevant authorities.

Threat Summary:

Name	"La Primitiva Lottery Promotions Program 2023" spam email
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Recipient has won (or a part of) €985,950.00 in a lottery.
Disguise	El Gordo de la Primitiva
Symptoms	Unauthorized online purchases, changed online account passwords, identity theft, illegal access of the computer.
Distribution methods	Deceptive emails, rogue online pop-up ads, search engine poisoning techniques, misspelled domains.
Damage	Loss of sensitive private information, monetary loss, identity theft.
Malware Removal (Windows)	To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Similar spam campaign examples

We have examined thousands of spam emails; "Funds For Transfer", "Investment In Your Country", "Moving Funds Out Of Niger", "Chan & Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI)" – are just some examples of ones promising large payouts to recipients.

It is pertinent to mention that this is not the only type of scam facilitated through spam. Other common models include phishing for log-in credentials, tech support, refunds, subscription renewals/cancellations, sextortion, etc. Furthermore, deceptive emails are used to spread malware.

Due to how widespread spam mail is and how well-made it can be – we strongly recommend exercising caution with incoming emails, DMs/PMs, SMSes, and other messages.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Cyber criminals commonly use spam campaigns to proliferate malware. These emails/messages can include malicious files as attachments or download links. The files come in various formats, e.g., archives (ZIP, RAR, etc.), executables (.exe, .run, etc.), documents (Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, PDF, etc.), JavaScript, and so on.

The infection chain is triggered once a virulent file is opened. However, some formats may require extra actions to jumpstart malware download/installation processes. For example, Microsoft Office files need users to enable macro commands (i.e., editing/content), while OneNote documents require them to click embedded files or links.

How to avoid installation of malware?

It is important to treat incoming emails and other messages with caution. Attachments or links present in dubious/irrelevant mail must not be opened since they can be malicious. We recommend using Microsoft Office versions released after 2010, as their "Protected View" mode prevents automatic macro execution.

It is noteworthy that malware is not distributed exclusively via spam mail. Therefore, we also advise being vigilant while browsing, as fraudulent and dangerous online content typically appears genuine and harmless.

Furthermore, all downloads must be performed from official and trustworthy sources. Another recommendation is to activate and update software by using legitimate functions/tools, as illegal activation ("cracking") tools and third-party updaters may contain malware.

We must emphasize the importance of having a reputable anti-virus installed and kept up-to-date. Security programs must be used to run regular system scans and to remove threats and issues. If you've already opened malicious attachments, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.

Text presented in the "La Primitiva Lottery Promotions Program 2023" spam email letter:

Subject: Winning Notification

Date: 30-09-2023

Reference number: UCV/777/555/12426/023
Batch number: 02-3773ESP
 

OFFICIAL WINNING NOTIFICATION  

 
We happily announce to you the draw of LA PRIMITIVA LOTTERY PROMOTIONS PROGRAM 2023, Your name was entered as an alternative number attached with Reference number: UCV/777/555/12426/023 with Batch number: 02-3773ESP drew the lucky numbers 07-15-25-31-34-46, which consequently won the lottery in the 3rd category. You have therefore been approved a lump sum payment of  €985,950.00 (NINE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-FIVE THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED AND FIFTY EUROS ONLY) in cash shared among the (Eleven international winners in this category).

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

To begin your claims, contact Dr Paula Grest the ZENITH SECURITY COMPANY S.L

For the processing and remittance of your money. Remember to quote your winning number in all correspondence.

Thanks

Sincerely yours
Dr Paula Grest                                
(Foreign Service manager)k
ZENITH SECURITY COMPANY S.L(SPAIN)

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Quick menu:

• What is "La Primitiva Lottery Promotions Program 2023" spam email?
• Types of malicious emails.
• How to spot a malicious email?
• What to do if you fell for an email scam?

Types of malicious emails:

Phishing Emails

Most commonly, cybercriminals use deceptive emails to trick Internet users into giving away their sensitive private information, for example, login information for various online services, email accounts, or online banking information.

Such attacks are called phishing. In a phishing attack, cybercriminals usually send an email message with some popular service logo (for example, Microsoft, DHL, Amazon, Netflix), create urgency (wrong shipping address, expired password, etc.), and place a link which they hope their potential victims will click on.

After clicking the link presented in such email message, victims are redirected to a fake website that looks identical or extremely similar to the original one. Victims are then asked to enter their password, credit card details, or some other information that gets stolen by cybercriminals.

Emails with Malicious Attachments

Another popular attack vector is email spam with malicious attachments that infect users' computers with malware. Malicious attachments usually carry trojans that are capable of stealing passwords, banking information, and other sensitive information.

In such attacks, cybercriminals' main goal is to trick their potential victims into opening an infected email attachment. To achieve this goal, email messages usually talk about recently received invoices, faxes, or voice messages.

If a potential victim falls for the lure and opens the attachment, their computers get infected, and cybercriminals can collect a lot of sensitive information.

While it's a more complicated method to steal personal information (spam filters and antivirus programs usually detect such attempts), if successful, cybercriminals can get a much wider array of data and can collect information for a long period of time.

Sextortion Emails

This is a type of phishing. In this case, users receive an email claiming that a cybercriminal could access the webcam of the potential victim and has a video recording of one's masturbation.

To get rid of the video, victims are asked to pay a ransom (usually using Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency). Nevertheless, all of these claims are false - users who receive such emails should ignore and delete them.

How to spot a malicious email?

While cyber criminals try to make their lure emails look trustworthy, here are some things that you should look for when trying to spot a phishing email:

• Check the sender's ("from") email address: Hover your mouse over the "from" address and check if it's legitimate. For example, if you received an email from Microsoft, be sure to check if the email address is @microsoft.com and not something suspicious like @m1crosoft.com, @microsfot.com, @account-security-noreply.com, etc.
• Check for generic greetings: If the greeting in the email is "Dear user", "Dear @youremail.com", "Dear valued customer", this should raise suspiciousness. Most commonly, companies call you by your name. Lack of this information could signal a phishing attempt.
• Check the links in the email: Hover your mouse over the link presented in the email, if the link that appears seems suspicious, don't click it. For example, if you received an email from Microsoft and the link in the email shows that it will go to firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0... you shouldn't trust it. It's best not to click any links in the emails but to visit the company website that sent you the email in the first place.
• Don't blindly trust email attachments: Most commonly, legitimate companies will ask you to log in to their website and to view any documents there; if you received an email with an attachment, it's a good idea to scan it with an antivirus application. Infected email attachments are a common attack vector used by cybercriminals.

To minimise the risk of opening phishing and malicious emails we recommend using Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows. 

Example of a spam email:

What to do if you fell for an email scam?

• If you clicked on a link in a phishing email and entered your password - be sure to change your password as soon as possible. Usually, cybercriminals collect stolen credentials and then sell them to other groups that use them for malicious purposes. If you change your password in a timely manner, there's a chance that criminals won't have enough time to do any damage.
• If you entered your credit card information - contact your bank as soon as possible and explain the situation. There's a good chance that you will need to cancel your compromised credit card and get a new one.
• If you see any signs of identity theft - you should immediately contact the Federal Trade Commission. This institution will collect information about your situation and create a personal recovery plan.
• If you opened a malicious attachment - your computer is probably infected, you should scan it with a reputable antivirus application. For this purpose, we recommend using Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.
• Help other Internet users - report phishing emails to Anti-Phishing Working Group, FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, National Fraud Information Center and U.S. Department of Justice.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why did I receive this email?

Spam emails are not personal. Cyber criminals distribute this mail in large-scale campaigns – hence, thousands of users receive identical messages.

I have provided my personal information when tricked by this spam email, what should I do?

If you have provided your account credentials – immediately change the passwords of all possibly exposed accounts and inform their official support. However, if the information was of a different personal nature (e.g., ID card details, credit card numbers, etc.) – contact the appropriate authorities without delay.

I have read a spam email but didn't open the attachment, is my computer infected?

Devices are infected when malicious attachments or links are opened/clicked – hence, merely reading an email is harmless.

I have downloaded and opened a file attached to a spam email, is my computer infected?

Whether your device was infected might depend on the opened file's format. If it was an executable (.exe, .run, etc.) – most likely, yes. However, you might have avoided the infection if it was a document (.doc, .xls, .one, .pdf, etc.). These formats can require additional user interaction to initiate malware download/installation chains (e.g., enabling macro commands, clicking embedded files/links, etc.).

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?

Yes, Combo Cleaner is capable of detecting and eliminating practically all known malware infections. It must be stressed that performing a full system scan is essential since sophisticated malicious programs typically hide deep within systems.

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