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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:
  • "claims office" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "foreign service manager" (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)
• 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.
  • +447031862238 (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.
  • online_claims_helpdesk@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: CLAIMSONLINE HELPDESK <online_claims_helpdesk@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 17 Aug 2007 20:15:16 +0100 (BST)
Subject: {Disarmed} Your Email







OXFORD REGIONAL CLAIMS OFFICE

WINNING CONFIRMATION

Desk of:
Dr. Edmund Walters
Foreign Service Manager
Overseas Subscribers Agent
Email lottery promotion regional office
62A Islip Road Kent,London OX2 7SP
United Kingdom

Tell : + 44 703 186 2238
Fax : + 44 871 503 6327
Email: online_claims_helpdesk@yahoo.co.uk


Dear Amoll,

I receive your mail today which does not make any sense to me. You are asking me to prove my Identity, I don’t know how but all I can tell you that Am the Regional Manager Oxford Regional Office of U K National Lottery Board. Previously, I receive a mail from you about your winning lottery but due to Security Reasons I was not able to give out further information. According to our procedures, If you receive a notification from our front office, we have a lay down procedure in processing your claims, first and fore most we will require you to furnish us with your winnings particulars which we will check for validity in our system.

After validation, if your Batch number is among the winning numbers, we will then forward to you the procedures for claims. This is in line with our policy because of our past experiences of false claims and double claims. At this stage I have nothing to say to you because I don’t even know if you are the rightful winner or among those seeking information in order to lay false claims as winner.

Talking of Money, we are not asking you for any money so I don’t understand you are talking about. Like I said in my previous mail, I will not discuss anything with you until we confirm your particulars and check your winning Number and Batch number to ascertain you are the real winner then we will be obliged to discuss with you. Since you need my Identity, my office address is right on top of this mail, feel free to come to our offices in person and ask the lady at the Reception or the Securities at the main gate that you want to see Dr. Edmund Walter, Am always in the office from 08.30 till 5pm UK time. My direct office number is (070 3186 2238), if you are calling outside United Kingdom you will dial (+44 7031862238) I do not understand when you said my telephone number is not working, maybe you should check the number you are calling incase you made a mistake while dialing the number.

Until we confirm your winning Batch Number and Ticket Number there is nothing we can and be inform that there is a time limit for claiming your winning, if the time limit expires, this office will not be held liable for the delay or non payment of your winning proceeds.

We await your information’s, till then have a great day

Regards,

Dr. Edmund Walter

(Oxford Regional Claims Manager)






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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam