419 scam: "POWER BALL LOTTERY PROMO." <info@powerball.com> Batch: 095/08/BY986

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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

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.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

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:

This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "clear source of funds certificate" ("anti-terrorist", "anti-money laundering" or "drug-free" certificates are a common way for criminals in fake lottery scams and other Advance Fee scams to get you to send money to them. There are no such certificates in the real banking world. )
- "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
- "the consignment" (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)
- "consignment " (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)
- "very confidential" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
- "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
- "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
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!

Fraud email example:

From: "POWER BALL LOTTERY PROMO." <info@powerball.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: customerservice.ups@w.cn
Date: Sat, 25 Jul 2009 02:21:27 +0200 (CEST)
Subject: Batch: 095/08/BY986

POWER BALL LOTTERY PROMO.
Liverpool, L70 1NL UNITED
KINGDOM

Our Ref: GHU/ONH /july. /09
Your ReF: PBL/9420X2/68
Batch: 095/08/BY986

We happily announce to you the draw (#954) of the POWER BALL LOTTERY
PROMO,online Sweepstakes International
program held on 7th july,2009.Your e-mail address attached to ticket
number:95375945373 300 with Serial
number 9281/06 drew the lucky numbers:1-6-14-26-34(bonus no 34.),which
subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd
category i.e match5plus bonus.You have therefore been approved to claim a
total sum of Â£600,000.00(Six hundred
thousand pound sterling) in cash credited tofile PBL/6758594746/06.This
is from a total cash prize of
Â£4,800,000.00 shared amongs the(8) 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
100,000unions,associations, and corporate bodies that are listed online.
This promotion takes place weekly. Please
note that your lucky winning number falls within our European booklet
representative office in Europe as
indicated in your playcoupon.

In view of this, your Â£600,000.00(Six hundred thousand pound sterling)
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 or her. For security reasons,
you are advised to keep your winning
information confidential till your claims 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.

CONGRATULATIONS!!
You are advise d to keep this winning very confidential until you receive
your lump prize in your account. This is
a protective measure to avoid double claiming by people that you may tell.

Ups Express Courier Services, has been contracted to deliver your winning
package to your location. Contact the
courier company with the contact information below for futher instructions
on how to send the consignment to your
location. BeLow are your winning documents the courier company will be
delivering.

1.WINNING CERTIFICATE FROM POWER-BALL LOTERY PROMO
2.WINNERS CHEQUE FOR THE VALUE OF Â£600,000 EQUIVALENT TO
$1,200,000.00
3.CLEAR SOURCE OF FUNDS CERTIFICATES(C.S.F.C.)

You are to send an email to the courier service providing them your home
address. In furtherance, to begin the final
step of the claims process you are advised to contact the security firm
whose details are furnished below and they
shall be responsible for onward delivery of your winnings to you and you
shall be expected to pay some fees along
the line by the security firm for the delivery of your cheque and
documents this fees will not be more than nomal
shipping charges which we feel will not be a problem to you., this is
because the total amount has been insured to
the real value and as such cannot be deducted from.This is in accordance
with section 13(1)(n) of the national
gambling act as adopted in 1993 and amended on 3RD July 1996 by the
constitutional assembly.

This is to protect winners and to avoid misappropriation of funds.Its is
imperative that you add your
IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS{LECS/PKG/0447}as the subject of any correspondence
with the courier company to ensure they respond in a timely manner and
also with your delivery home address which your winnings can be delivered
to, to
enable the quick delivery of your parcel within 24hrs.

For further Information about your Winnings,contact Ups Express Courier
Services dispatch officer
with the following contact Address.

CONTACT INFORMATION .

Unit 5 Forest Road Feltham Middlesex
TW137DYCH62 3NX
United Kingdom.
Tel:--------------+44 ( 0 ) 704 5744 224
+44 ( 0 ) 703 5931 949
Dispacth Officer: Mr. Nolan Davies
Email:customerservice.ups@w.cn

That way your winning certificate and all other relevant
documents/paperwork can be prepared for you. You would be
required to show an instrument of identification when cashing your cheque
i.e.Drivers license or International
passport.POWER BALL LOTTERY PROMO. Please include your winning ticket
number and your personal contact
information,names, telephone and fax data for the immediate processing of
your claims All prizes must be
claimed within three weeks. NOTE: If you are under the age of 18, you are
automatically disqualified for this star
prize.

Yours faithfully,
Mr Michael Riggs
Online coordinator for POWER BALL LOTTERY PROMO
Sweepstakes 2009
International Program 2009

N.B. Any breach of confidentiality on the part of the winners will result
to disqualification. Contact your
claims agent whose contact details are stated above.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam