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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:
  • "uk national lottery" (can only win this lottery if you bought a ticket)
  • "uk national lottery inc." (no such lottery exists)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "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 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.
  • claimsagentpetersonmillerv1@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: UK NATIONAL LOTTERY <sistergpelaeza2@yahoo.ca>
Reply-To: patybluedonuk@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2007 14:25:51 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: GOODNEWS:CONTACT CLAIMS AGENT


The National Lottery
P.O.Box 17,
Kempsford GL7 4WZ
London. UNITED KINGDOM
FROM:UK NATIONAL LOTTERY
TICKET NUMBER: 74454774
SERIAL NUMBER: 144-66584
BATCH NUMBER : BT-4478474121P

AWARD FINAL NOTIFICATION.
We happily announce to you the draw (#999) of the UK NATIONAL LOTTERY,online Sweepstakes International program held on the 30th of May 2007.

You were entered as dependent clients with: SERIAL NUMBER: 144-66584 and Batch number BT-4478474121P.Your email address attached to the ticket number: 74454774 that drew the lucky winning numbers: Bonus Ball [38] which subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd category i.e match 5 plus bonus. You have been approved for a payment of £800,000.00 (EIGHT HUNDRED THOUSAND POUNDS STERLING.) in cash credited to file reference number: UKL/K5998/U4.

This is from a total cash prize of Eight million pounds shared among the ten international winners in firstcategories.

All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from 50,000 (Fifty thousand) names of email users around the world, as part of our international promotion program. Due to mixed up of some names and addresses,we ask that you keep this award personal, till your claims has been processed and your funds remitted to you.This is part of our security measures to avoid double claiming or unwarranted takingadvantage of the situation by other participants or impersonators,You are to contact our accredited agent for your winnings.

Mr. Peterson Miller.
UNITED KINGDOM LOTTERY CLAIMS AGENT.
UK NATIONAL LOTTERY SECURITY AGENCY.
E-mail: claimsagentpetersonmillerv1@yahoo.co.uk
He is your agent, and responsible for the processing and transfer of your winnings to you.

YOUR SECURITY FILE NUMBER IS Z-90237-67/U4 (keep personal) Remember, your winnings must be claimed not later than 14 days after today.

Our Lottery agent will immediately commence the process to facilitate the release of your funds as soon as you contact him. You may wish to establish contact via e-mail with the particulars presented above citing the batch and reference numbers to this letter.

Our winners are assured of the utmost standards of confidentiality, and press anonymity until the end of proceedings, and beyond where they so desire. Be further advised to maintain the strictest level of confidentiality until the end of proceedings to circumvent problems associated with fraudulent claims.

This is part of our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program.

Goodluck from me and members of staff of the UK NATIONAL LOTTERY.

Yours faithfully,
Ms.Cynthia Parker
Online coordinator for UK NATIONAL LOTTERY
Sweepstakes International Program.
Copyright©1994-2007 The UK National Lottery Inc.


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam