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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:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "fiduciary 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.
  • btl_leroybanks03@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "British International" <mich_ronin12@hotmail.co.uk>
Reply-To: btl_leroybanks2@boxbg.com
Date: Sun, 30 Jul 2006 23:01:16 +0100
Subject: ANNUAL PRIZE NOTIFICATION!!!

British Lottery Headquarters:
Customer Service
28 TANFIELD ROAD,
CROYDON.LONDON

 

  Ref: BTL/491OXI/04
  Batch: 12/25/0304

 

 

  WINNING NOTIFICATION

                                              

We happily announce to you the draw of the British

Lottery International programs held on the 1st of

July 2006 in London. Your e-mail address attached

to ticket number: 564 75600545-188 with serial number

5388/02 drew the lucky numbers: 31-6-26-13-35-7,which

subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd

category.

 

You have therefore been approved to claim a

total sum of  £2,500,000.00(Two million, five hundred

thousand, Great Britain Pounds Sterling) in cash credited to

file RPC/9080118308/04 made available from a total

cash prize of US £125 Million Pounds, shared amongst

the first Fifty (50) lucky winners in this category.

This years Lottery Program Jackpot is the largest ever

for British Lottery . The estimated £125 million

jackpot would be the sixth-biggest in U.K. history.  The

biggest was the $363 million jackpot that went to two

winners in a May 2000 draw of The Big Game, Mega

Millions' predecessor.

 

Please note that your lucky winning number falls

within our booklet representative office in Europe as

indicated in our play coupon. In view of this, your

£2,500,000.00 (Two million, five hundred

thousand, Great Britain pounds Sterling) would be released to

you by our affiliate bank in London. Our agent will

immediately commence the facilitation of release of

funds to you as soon as you establish contact.

All participants were selected randomly from world

wide web sites through a computer drawn system and

extracted from over 100,000 companies. This promotion

takes place annually.

 

This is part of precautionary measures to avoid double

claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program by some

unscrupulous elements.

Please be warned. To file for your claim, please

contact our fiduciary agent with the below details for

processing of your claims.

 

AGENT: Mr. Leroy Banks

Email: btl_leroybanks03@yahoo.co.uk

 

To avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please

quote your reference/batch numbers in any

correspondences with our designated

agent. Congratulations once more from all members and

staff of this program.

 

Thank you for being part of our promotional lottery program.

Sincerely,

 

Michael Ronin

Online Zonal Co-ordinator.

 

BRITISH INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY
COPYRIGHT © 2006 ALL RIGHT RESERVED.

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam