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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:
  • "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 mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +447024075307 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
• 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.
  • entcester006@yahoo.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: "Williams Chester" <promodirector03@msn.com>
Reply-To: danestradadan@yahoo.cp.uk
Date: Tue, 07 Mar 2006 04:42:58 +0000
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS WINNER

ic

The National Lottery
P O Box 1010
Liverpool, L70 1NL
UNITED KINGDOM
(Notice Centre)
WINNING NOTIFICATION:
Ref: XYL /26510460037/05
Batch: 24/00319/IPD

Dear Winner,

We happily announce to you the draw (#1030) of the UK NATIONAL LOTTERY,online Sweepstakes International program held on,wednessday 01 March 2006 (Draw 1030).

Your e-mail address attached to ticket number:56475600545 188 with
Serial number 5368/02 drew the lucky numbers:

which subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd category i.e match 5 plus bonus.

You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of £118,149 (One hundred and eighteen thousand, one hundred and fourty nine pounds sterlings) in cash credited to file XYL /26510460037/05 .

This is from a total cash prize of £1,772,235 (One million, seven hundred and seventy two thousand, two hundred and thirty five pounds sterlings.) shared amongst the (15) lucky winners in this category i.e Match 5 plus bonus.All participants for the online version were selected randomly from World Wide Web sites through computer draw system and extracted from over 100,000 unions,associatons and corporate bodies that are listed online.

All participants for the online version were selected randomly from World Wide Web sites through computer draw system and extracted from over 100,000 unions,associations,and corporate bodies that are listed online. This promotion takes place weekly.

Please note that your lucky winning number falls within our European booklet representative office in Europe as indicated in your play coupon.
In view of this, your £118,149 (One hundred and eighteen thousand, one hundred and fourty nine pounds sterlings) would be released to you by any of our payment offices in Europe.

Our European agent will immediately commence the process to facilitate the release of your funds as soon as you contact him.

For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information confidential your claim is processed and your money remitted to you in whatever manner you deem fit to claim your prize.
This is part of our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program.

Please be warned. To file for your claim, please contact our claims agent:

Overseas Claims Unit
United Kingdom Lottery Fiduciary
Dr. Williams Chester
Email: agentcester006@yahoo.co.uk

Tel: +447024075307

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 particulars presented above citing the batch
and reference numbers to this letter.

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.

Goodluck from me and members of staff of the UK NATIONAL LOTTERY.

Yours faithfully,

REV. GEORGE HARRIS
Online coordinator for UK NATIONAL
LOTTERY,

You can go to our online result site to confirm the value of your winnings and also
get a prize breakdown:-
http://www.national-lottery.co.uk/player/p/results/results.do

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam