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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:
  • "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.
  • tommy-joseph@excite.com

Fraud email example:

From: "BOL LOTTERY" <britishonlinelottery@sympatico.ca>
Reply-To: tommy-joseph@excite.com
Date: Tue, 21 Feb 2006 18:41:14 +0000
Subject: NOTIFICATION

 

  BRITISH ONLINE LOTTERY PROMOTION

28 TANFIELD ROAD
CROYDON.LONDON

Ref: BOL/101OXI/02 
Batch: 16/211/0374

 

 

                               BOL NOTIFICATION DESK

 

We happily announce to you the draw (#954) of the BRITISH ONLINE LOTTERY PROMOTION, program held on Tuesday 21st Febraury 2006.

Participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn randomly from a pool of over 100,000 names of e-mail addresses drawn from Europe, America, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Middle-East, parts of Africa, and North & South America as part of our international promotions programme conducted annually to encourage prospective overseas entries. We hope with part of your prize awards, you will take part in our subsequent lottery jackpots.This promotion takes place biannually.

Your e-mail address attached to ticket number: 56475600545 188 with  Serial number 5368/02 drew the lucky numbers: ((13)-(43)-(06)-(15)-(02)-(40)bonus # (09)., which subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd category.

 

You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of £125,000 (One hundred  and twenty five thousand pounds sterling) in cash credited to file BOL/9023118308/03.

This is from a total cash prize of £2,000,000,00 shared amongst the first sixteeen (16) lucky winners in this category.

 

Please note that your lucky winning number falls within our European booklet representative office in Europe as indicated in your play coupon.In view of this, your £125,000 ((One hundred  and twenty five thousand pounds sterling) would be released to you by any of our courier department.Our agent will immediately commence the process to facilitate the release of your funds as soon as you contact him/her.

 

For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information confidential till your claim is processed and your money remitted to you in whatever manner you deem fit to claim your prize.This is part of our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program. Please be warned!!!

 

To begin your claim, you have to quote your Ref and Batch Numbers to your Fiduciary Agent(MR.TOMMY JOSEPH) with the contact below:

 

TOMMY JOSEPH (Mr.)

E MAIL: tommy-joseph@excite.com

 

Goodluck from me and members of staff of the BRITISH ONLINE LOTTERY PROMOTION

 

Yours faithfully,

  Mrs Stephanie Harry Director Online International Promotions Unit,

    

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam