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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 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)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "here in united kingdom" (this email uses bad English)
• 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.
  • info_jameswattford@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: national lottery national lottery <department_customer_services_uk@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Thu, 2 Aug 2007 17:46:23 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: Re: YOUR WINNING NUMBER**25 26 29 49 50 07 08 **


Attn: Winner

This office is in receipt of the information you provided for the processing of your lottery winnings which was forwarded to us from the ONLINE DIRECTOR OF UK NATIONAL LOTTERY, Be rest assured that it will be kept confidential.

I must say that you should count yourself extremely lucky to have emerged as one of our winners in last year’s lucky dip sweepstakes. As you already know your email address was randomly selected along with others from over 100,000 websites on the internet. Each email address was attached to a ticket number. Your email address was selected along with four others as winners.

To begin the final step of the claims process, which is the transfer of your winnings to your destination? With regards to this, i have Forwarded your details, your file and original certificate to our associated bank here in United Kingdom for verification and payment.

Now you are required to contact the bank (***ENFIELD COUNTY BANK PLC***) yourself by writing an application for the release of your winnings to you. The application should be presented to them in the below format and sent by email to the Chief Accountant/Accounts Director at the bank via this: transfer_onlineservice@enfieldcounty-bankplc.com

________________________________________________________
YOUR NAME:.....
TEL:...........
FAX:........
EMAIL:......
_________________________________________________________
International Transfer Unit
ENFIELD COUNTY BANK PLC
Email: transfer_onlineservice@enfieldcounty-bankplc.com

ATTN: MR. JAMES WATTFORD
CHIEF ACCOUNTANT/ACCOUNTS DIRECTOR
APPLICATION FOR MY 2007 UK NATIOANL LOTTERY Prize OF £250,000.00 (TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND,POUNDS STERLING )
I write in respect of the £250,000.00 I have won in the 2007 UNITED KINGDOM LOTTERY that is deposited with your bank. I was directed to apply to you by my legal/claims agent (Mr.James Wattford) and I hereby file a claim for my funds.

I will be most grateful if you will furnish me with your procedure for the claims and transfer of my money to me.

I anticipate your kind and speedy response.
Yours faithfully,
(YOUR NAME OR INITIALS)
_________________________________________________

Having applied to the bank, you are required to keep me updated of every correspondence and of progress with the bank as soon as you are in contact with them because it is my responsibility, as your Fiduciary agent, to ensure that you get paid and on time too. Again, it is important that you keep all your winning particulars and numbers personal and confidential until your prize money has been paid to you.

This is a security measure to avoid double claiming or/and impersonation.
Contact the bank as soon as possible to avoid delays to your payment. Should you have any difficulties whatsoever, do not hesitate to contact me
Good luck and Congratulation once again.

Respectfully Yours,
Mr.James Wattford
Foreign Department Manager
22a Pall Mall London,
Sw1Y 5LP, United Kingdom.
E-mail:info_jameswattford@yahoo.com


___________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam