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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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "british lottery international" (no such lottery exists)
  • "national lottery promotion" (no such lottery exists)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "await your urgent response" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
• 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.
  • +447031821461 (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.
  • scarletcourier_deliveryservice_7@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: BRITISH INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY <infojudiciary_agent@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2007 01:50:05 +0100 (BST)
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS !!! CONTACT SCARLET COURIERS FOR DELIVERY.



British Lottery International
Headquarters: 60 Merriman Road
Blackheath London SE3 8RZ
England

15th July, 2007

Dear Winner

Ref. Number: BTL/491OXI/04
Batch Number: 12/25/0304
Ticket Number: 564 75600545-188
Serial Number: 5388/02

Thank you for contacting the Interactive judiciary Agent officer and we are sincerely sorry for the delay. We have received your response. Appropriate verifications has also been carried out and you have been officially cleared for payment by the accreditation/screening committee of The British International Lottery.

In the light of this, you are required to contact Mr. Walter Walkins of Scarlet-Courier Company who is in charge of delivering of your winning parcel containing your winning cheque of GBP 2,500,000.00 (Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Pounds Sterling) and your wininng documents/draft for our British International Lottery winners.

Find his details below: -


Scarlet Couriers Delivery service.
Dispatch Officer in Charge
Mr. Walter Walkins
Email: scarletcourier_deliveryservice_7@yahoo.co.uk
Phone: +44 703 182 1461

The Scarlet courier delivery department would be responsible for sending you the original copies of your documents which would require your signature. When the documents are couriered to you, you would sign them and return them to the Scarlet courier company,from where it would be forwarded to the British International lottery headquarters.

Please oblige to follow the instructions so that your winning parcel and your wininng documents can get to your present address on time.

You are required to give Scarlet Courier Company your following information Should in case they need to contact you regarding the delivery:

your Name:...............................
telephone number:...................................
address:...................................
e-mail:....................................
age:.......................................
sex :.......................................
occupation:................................
country:.....................................................

This information will not be kept by Scarlet-Courier company or used by any other third party.

Below is a scanned copy of your winning certificate to testify that you are the rightful winner of the British International Lottery. Keep to claim your parcel from the Scarlet Courier Delivery Service on delivering your parcel to your doorstep.

Although you will be asked to pay for the cost of delivery with the Scarlet Courier Company in the event of Delivery your winning cheque and Document with the 2,500,000 Pounds Sterling (Two Million, five hundred POUNDS).

Do ensure to inform me of your further correspondence with the Scarlet courier company in order for me to advise you on further actions to take in ensuring that your winnings is appropriately remitted to you.

I will await your urgent response. Extend my greetings to your family.
Note: The British International Lottery Promotion has discovered a huge number of double claiming due to recipients informing close friends relatives and third parties about their cash prize and also sharing their winning notification. As a result of this, these friends try to claim the winning prize on behalf of the real recipient. The British international Lottery Promotion losses millions of pounds on this fraudulent people, and has reached a decision from it's headquarters that any double claiming discovered by the British International Lottery will result to the Lottery Board cancelling the entire winning prize for the rightful winner. So you are hereby strongly advised once more to keep your Winning Prize notification strictly confidential until you claim your winning prize.



Congratulations once more.

Kind regards,
Mr. Wilson Evans.
+44 703 197 0562
Judiciary Agent Officer.





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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam