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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:
  • "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "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.
  • +447040106154 (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.
  • hlfund@yahoo.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: "heritage lottery" <hlfund4@hotmail.com>
Date: Sun, 23 Oct 2005 00:50:43 +0000
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS!!! YOUR LOTTERY WINNING

UK.HERITAGE LOTTERY INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS
FROM: THE DESK OF THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER,
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT
REF: CNL/5567890/05
BATCH: 08/0048/Y05


AWARD NOTIFICATION/ FINAL NOTICE


We are pleased to inform you of the announcement
today, of winners of the HERITAGE LOTTERY UK
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS held on Friday,21st October 2005.


You are attached to ticket number 09-12-21-39-40-46;
with bonus number 35 drew the lucky numbers 923, and
consequently won the lottery in the 4th category. You
have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay of
£526,422 in cash credited to file REF NO.
CNL/5567890/05. This is from total prize money of
£3,684,954 shared among the seven international
winners in this category.


All participants were selected through a computer
ballot system drawn form 25,000 email addresses of
companies and 20,000 individual email address from
Australia,New Zealand, America, Europe, North America,
Africa and Asia as part of International Promotions
Program, which is conducted monthly.


CONGRATULATIONS!!!


Your fund is now deposited with the payment board in
your name. Due to the mix up of some numbers and
names, we ask that you keep this award strictly from
public notice until your claim has been processed and
your funds ready for collection. This is part of our
security protocol to avoid double claiming or
unscrupulous acts by participants of this program. We
hope with a part of your prize, you will participate
in our end of year high stakes £1.3billion
International Lottery.


To begin your claim, please contact your claim agent
on telephon number number: +44-704-0106-154 or email:
(hlfund@yahoo.co.uk)Attention: Mr. Jerry Wright,for due
processing and remittance of your prize money.
Please send down your full name, address, telephone.
Remember, all prize money must be claimed not later
than the two weeks from the contact of this office.
After this date, all funds will be returned as
unclaimed.


NOTE: In order to avoid unnecessary delays and
complications, please remember to quote your reference
and batch numbers in every one of your message
correspondence. Furthermore, should there be any
change of your address, do inform your claims agent as
soon as possible.


Congratulations again from all our staff.


Sincerely,


Michael Anderson

(Promotion Manager)

UK HERITAGE LOTTERY INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMM.

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam