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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)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "overseas claims unit" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "million pounds" (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)
  • ",000,000" (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)
  • "00,000.00" (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 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.
  • katrinahumph51@hotmail.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "UK NATIONAL LOTTERY BOARD" <info@uknl.co.uk>
Reply-To: katrinahumph51@hotmail.co.uk
Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2008 20:00:47 -0530 (IST)
Subject: Lucky winner.......




The National Lottery
P O Box 1010
Liverpool, L70 1NL UNITED KINGDOM
(Customer Services)
WINNING NOTIFICATION:
Ref: XYL /26510460037/05
Batch: 24/00319/IPD

Dear Winner,

We happily announce to you the draw (#1046) of the UK NATIONAL
LOTTERY,online Sweepstakes International program held Today.

Your e-mail address attached to ticket number: 56475600545 188 which
subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd category i.e. match 5 plus
bonus. You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of
1,000,000.00(One Million Pounds Sterlings) in cash credited to file
XYL/26510460037/05.

This is from a total cash prize of 17,000,000.00 (Seventeen Million Pounds
Sterlings.) shared amongst the (17) Lucky winners in this category i.e.
Match 5 plus bonus. All participants for the online version were selected
Randomly from World Wide Web sites through computer draw system and
extracted from over 100,000 unions,associations,and corporate bodies that
are listed online.

This promotion takes place monthly.

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 1,000,000.00 (One Million Pounds Sterlings)would be
released to you by any of our payment offices in Europe.

Our European agent will immediately commence the process to facilitate the
release of your funds as soon as you contact him. 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 file for your claim.

Our European 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
Informations below:

1.Name:
2.Address:
3.Marital Status:
4.Occupation:
5.Age:
6.Sex:
7.Nationality:
8.Country Of Residence:
9.Personal Telephone Number:

Please contact our claims agent with the sitting the informations above:
=====================================================
Overseas Claims Unit United Kingdom Lottery
Mrs .Katrina Humph
E-mail: katrinahumph51@hotmail.co.uk
=====================================================

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 programme .

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

Yours faithfully,

Sir. Richard K. Lloyd
Online coordinator for
UK NATIONAL LOTTERY.
-- Sent at 21:05:52 on 08/20/08 through NITK (http://www.nitk.ac.in/) Email Gateway . AV scanning & Spam checking are done on this mail --

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam