419 scam: "The National Lottery" <craigliu@cute.edu.tw> Confirm Your Lottery Winnings

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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

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.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

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.
This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- ",500,000" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "00,000.00" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "tnl_pd.calvinwalter12@live.com" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
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.
- +447024097275 (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.
- tnl_pdcwalter12@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
- 705-348-4490 email:tnl_pd.calvinwalter12@live.com cc:tnl_pdcwalter12@yahoo.co.uk congratulations once again from me, and entire members (Live; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: tnl_pd.calvinwalter12@live.com
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 2010 23:36:57 +0800 (CST)
Subject: Confirm Your Lottery Winnings

ATTN:LUCKY WINNER,

Having concluded a recent lotto special programme, your email address was amongst the specially selected, hence in the LOTTO HOTPICKS file category,with special winnings numbers 11,13,21,33,36,47 you are to receive a cash sum of ¢G4,500,000.00 (Four Million Five Hundred Thousand Great Britain Pounds Only).

All participants for the online version were selected randomly from the World Wide Web through a computer draw system and extracted from over 50,000 unions, associations, and corporate bodies that are listed online.

To commence processing of your winnings, you MUST FORWARD a copy of this notification to our processing director via contact information below;

MR. Calvin Walter,
Processing Director,
Special Programme Department,
Tel: +44 702-409-7275
Fax: +44 705-348-4490
Email:tnl_pd.calvinwalter12@live.com
Cc:tnl_pdcwalter12@yahoo.co.uk

Congratulations once again from me, and entire members of staff of the THE NATIONAL LOTTERY (TNL) and it is our hope that you participate in any of our international programs in the nearest future.
Thank you.

Yours faithfully,
Miss Barbara McPherson,
Special Programme Coordinator,
Special Programme Department,
Email:tnlspc_bmcpherson@yahoo.co.uk

************************************************************
DISCLAIMER & CONFIDENTIALITY:
The information contained in this communication is intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed and others authorized to receive it, as it may contain confidential or legally privileged
information. If you are not the intended recipient you are hereby notified that any disclosure, unauthorized use, copying,distribution or taking any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by responding to this email and then delete it from your system. THE NATIONAL
LOTTERY (TNL) is neither liable for the proper and complete transmission of the information contained in this communication nor for any delay in its receipt.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam