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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

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

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
• 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.
  • sports@iwon.com

Fraud email example:

From: "lotto award" <lotto_award20@msn.com>
Reply-To: global-sports@iwon.com
Date: Sat, 18 Feb 2006 17:20:51 +0000
Subject: SELECTION FOR PRIZE/AWARD CONFIRMATION

GLOBAL SPORTS INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS
THE NATIONAL LOTTERY
LIVERPOOL, L70 1NL
UNITED KINGDOM

Ref: GSP005/Q3.1
Batch: 3/1-2005C7

Dear Sir/Madam,
RE: SELECTION FOR PRIZE/AWARD CONFIRMATION
We are delighted to notify you the draw (#915), the shortlisting and
inclusion of your mail ID among the 50 winners of the Global Sports Online
Sweepstakes International Promotion Program organized quarterly under the
auspices of UK Lottery held on January 24th 2005.

Your name has been attached to Ticket Number 41-47-17-21-13-18, with Serial
Number 9375B, REF: GSP005/Q3.1 and BATCH: 3/1-2005C7 in our collator's data
sheet and consequently won the lottery in the 2nd category in match 5 plus
associated bonus.

You are therefore entitled to a claim of 5% (&pound;1.8Million) of the
&pound;36Million voted for the promotional program. This prize award is
envisaged for the promotion of sports in individual winner's locality in the
country of origin, and has been credited to file: GSP/9023118308/05. Your
prize award has been insured in your name and is ready for claims.

To begin your claims therefore, you are advised to expeditiously contact our
licensed and accredited claims agent for Overseas selected Winners within a
period of 21 days (date of this email inclusive) for the processing of your
winning and remittance of entitlement to you in the preferred payment as
shall be indicated by you and after all statutory obligations have been
satisfactorily dispensed with.

This promotion takes place quarterly. Please note that your lucky winning
number falls within our European booklet representative office in Europe as
indicated in your Sweepstakes coupon. In view of this, your
&pound;1.8million (One Million Eight Hundred Thousand Pounds Sterling) would
be released to you by any of our payment offices in Europe.

Please be informed that claims not processed within the stipulated period
may be forfeited to the pool without further notice.

Our European agent will immediately commence the process to facilitate the
release of your funds as soon as you contact him.
You may wish to establish contact via e-mail with the information presented
below citing the batch and reference numbers to this letter between the
hours of 8.00am - 7.30pm on Monday through Friday

Overseas Claims Unit
United Kingdom Lottery Fiduciary
Contact Person: Mr. Michael Howards
Email: global-sports@iwon.com

Our winners are assured of the utmost standards of confidentiality, and
press anonymity until the end of proceedings, and beyond where they so
desire. Be further advised to maintain the strictest level of
confidentiality until the end of proceedings to circumvent problems
associated with fraudulent claims. This is part of our precautionary measure
to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program.

CONGRATULATIONS again from all our staff.
We remain Very Truly Yours,


The Director of Promotions
GLOBAL SPORTS PROMOTION
UK Lottery International
global-sports@iwon.com

NOTE: Always quote your Reference No.GSP005/Q3.1 and Batch No.: 3/1-2005C7
in every of your correspondences with us or to our coordinate sponsor's
bank. Should there be any change of your address, do inform your claims
processing agent as soon as possible.




This E-mail message (including attachments, if any) is intended for the use
of the individual or entity to which it is addressed and may contain
Information that is privileged, proprietary,
confidential and exempted from disclosure. If you are not the intended
recipient, you are notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying
of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this
communication in error, please notify the sender, and erase this E-mail
message immediately.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam