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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• This email message is a fake lottery scam. Consider the following facts about real lotteries:
  
  1. They don't notify winners by email.
  2. You can't win without first buying a lottery ticket.
  3. They don't randomly select email addresses to award prizes to.
  4. They don't use free email accounts (Yahoo, Hotmail, etc) to communicate with you.
  5. They don't tell you to call a mobile phone number.
  6. They don't tell you to keep your winnings secret.
  7. They will never ask a winner to pay any fees to receive a prize!
• This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
  • william_gills@hotmail.com

Fraud email example:

From: "UK2005 lottery" <uk2005lotterywinner@msn.com>
Date: Sun, 23 Oct 2005 16:21:50 +0000
Subject: ELECTRONIC MAIL AWARD LOTTERY / WINNER NOTIFICATION

FROM: THE DESK OF THE E-MAIL PROMOTIONS MANAGER,
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT
UK NATIONAL LOTTERY
3b Olympic Way, Sextons Business Park,
Aintree, Liverpool, L30 1RD
Tel :447031942002

REF NO: UKN-L/200-26937
BATCH: 2005MJL-01

ELECTRONIC MAIL AWARD LOTTERY / WINNER NOTIFICATION:

Dear  Winner,

We are pleased to inform you of the announcement today of winners of the UK NATIONAL LOTTERY PROGRAMS held on 20th of October 2005 to winning number 23-05-2005-02UKNL, with serial number S/N-00168 drew the lucky numbers 887-13-865-37-10-83, and consequently won in the first lottery category.

You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of GBP 500,000,00 Pounds (five hundred thousand pounds) in cash credited to file REF NO: UKNL-L/200-26937 The Sum total prize money of GBP (70,000,000.00) Pounds, to be shared among the Hundred and forty (140)  Lucky  international winners in this category.All participants were selected through our Microsoft computer ballot system drawn form 21,000 names, 3,000 names from each continent, as part of International "E-MAIL" Promotions Program and the Lucky winner's happened to be online during the ballot programme, which is conducted once in every four years for our prominent MS WORD user all over the world, and for the continues use of E-mail.

Your fund has been deposited in an escrow account with our affiliate Bank here in UK, and insured with your REF NO: UKNL-L/200-26937 and your E-mail address, Please note that, you are to contact us via email as we are promoting the use of E-mail, You have the right to call the bank, as we will provide you with the necessary details on how to claim your Prize. You are to keep your Ref. number and batch number from the public, until it has been processed and your money remitted to your personal account.

We hope with your prize, you will be happy to promote the use of E-mail. To claim your winning prize, you must contact the claims department by email for processing and remittance of your prize money to you. Your assigned claims officer contact email is:

Name:   William Gill
E-mail:    william_gills@hotmail.com

He is to help you in claiming your due prize. Remember, all prize money must be claimed not later than the 10th of Nov, 2005. All funds not claimed on or before the fixed date will be remitted to the U.K National Lottery Bursary for the next Ballot Programme.
NOTE: In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please remember to quote your reference and batch numbers in all correspondences with your claims officer.

Any winner below the age of 18years is automatically disqualified.

Sincerely,
Mrs. Monica Lopez

For UK NATIONAL LOTTERY;

NOTE:  You are to contact your claims officer immediately.

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam