Unfortunately, there will always be gullible people in the world - these types of scams have been going on for years and it is surprising the size of the industry which has been built out of them.  I have come across one person who, when they died, there family found thousands of letters about having won the lottery - they had paid out thousands to the scammers thinking that they would eventually receive payment.  All it does is say to them "we've found one" - and then they pass your name and address onto a large network of people who will all try the same trick.

If you want to play the lottery, the best way is to play a reputable one where you actually pay out money and receive a lottery ticket - such as www.playlotto.org.uk