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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.
  • +447031847074 (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.
  • uknationallotto2005@hotmail.com

Fraud email example:

From: "winning notification" <winningnotification10@msn.com>
Reply-To: scottbedbury02_uknationallotto2005@hotmail.com
Date: Mon, 03 Apr 2006 09:10:12 +0000
Subject: CLAIM YOUR FUNDS!!!

The National Lottery
P O Box 1010
Liverpool, L70 1NL
UNITED KINGDOM
(Customer Services)
Date:3rd April, 2006
WINNING NOTIFICATION

Ref: UK/9420X2/68
Batch: 074/05/ZY369

Dear Winner,

We happily announce to you the draw (#996) of the UK NATIONAL LOTTERY,
online Sweepstakes International program held 1st MARCH, 2006.

Your e-mail address attached to ticket number: 56475600545 188 with Serial
number 5368/02 drew the lucky numbers: 07 12 23 26 29 44 31

Winning Numbers BreakdownBonus Ball
Bonus Ball [38] 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 £250,000 (Two
hundred and fifty thousand pounds sterlings) in cash credited to file
KTU/9023118308/03.

This is from a total cash prize of £1,000,000 shared amongst the first four
(4) 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, 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 £250,000 (Two hundred and fifty thousand pounds
sterlings) would be released to you by any of our payment offices in Europe.
Our European agent will immediately commence theprocess 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
Mr. Scott Bedbury,
Email:scottbedbury02_uknationallotto2005@hotmail.com
Tel:+447031847074

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,

Brian Hunt
Online coordinator for UK NATIONAL LOTTERY,
Sweepstakes International Program.
Open 7 days 8am-8pm

CONFIDENTIAL NOTICE: This email message, including any attachments, is
intended only for the use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain
information that is privileged, confidential and prohibited from
unauthorized disclosure under applicable law. If you are not the intended
recipient of this message, any dissemination, distribution or copying of
this message is strictly prohibited. If you received this message in error,
please notify the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the
original message.

Copyright © 1994-2005 The UK National Lottery Inc.
All rights reserved. Terms of Service - Guidelines.



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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam