Protect Yourself and Report the Latest Frauds, Scams, Spams, Fakes, Identify Theft Hacks and Hoaxes
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Have you received an email from "Mr. Henry Smith" at the "UK NATIONAL LOTTERY BOARD - Claims Department" telling you that you won the a prize and to contact "Sir Christopher Barrett"? It is a scam.
There are only two legal large lotteries in Britain, the National Lottery and the Monday Lottery, anyway, and they do NOT use email to notify winners. Below is a scam email actually received.
DO NOT reply to any emails you receive that claim you have won a lottery that you did not enter. They are frauds. You will lose your money. There is no "free lunch"; don't be foolish and believe a scam! We can not say it any more plainly: YOU WILL NOT BE NOTIFIED BY EMAIL BY ANY LEGITIMATE LOTTERY THAT YOU WON A PRIZE. If you do receive such an email, it IS a fraud, do not reply to it! If you DID reply to one, see this page to find out what happens next!
Other resources:
Also
In the UK, call the hotline at 020 7211 8111 to check or report lottery scams.
There are many other signs that this is a fraud that we have highlighted in the email below, typically including one or more of these:
Email address ballot: There is no such thing as a "computer ballot system" or "computer email draw". No one, not even Microsoft has a database of email addresses of the type or magnitude they suggest.
Terrible spelling, punctuation, syntax and grammar - Scammers apparently don't know how to use spell checkers. We assume they dropped out of school before that class. They use almost random CapItaLiZAtion and often can't even spell "February" or know that "22th" ought to be "22nd". Real lotteries proofread their emails and use people who can write above the 3rd grade level.
Using free email account: The scammer is writing to you from a FREE email account (Yahoo, Hotmail, Excite, AIM, Gmail, etc.). Don't you think a real organization would use its own email, its own domain and website?
Keep Confidential - Real lotteries THRIVE on publicity - they don't want you to keep anything secret - the publicity causes people to buy more tickets. there is NO risk of "double claiming" because they can validate where the ticket numbers were sold. The scammer want you to keep quiet because they don't want the police or ConsumerFraudreporting to hear about them!
Email notification: NO REAL LOTTERY SENDS AN EMAIL TO NOTIFY WINNERS. Period. Full-stop. End of story. There mere fact ALONE that you received an email saying you won a lottery is proof that it is a scam.
Here is a typical scam lottery winning notification.
Date: Sat, 10 Mar 2007 06:40:24 -0800
From: uk.lotto@telus.net
Subject: SUCCESS****ALERT-REF No: UKNL-L/200-26937
UK NATIONAL LOTTERY BOARD
Claims Department
12 Bridge Street,
Staines Middlesex TW18 4TP
United Kingdom.
Ref: Batch:
Attention: Winner,
This is to inform you that you have been selected for a cash Price of £450,000.00 (four hundred and fifty thousand Great British Pounds) from the UK NATIONAL LOTTERY programs held on the 2ND March,2007 in the United Kindom. We hereby inform you that we have processed your payment and your cheque is ready for disbursement, along with your winnings certificate. also your funds deposited with us is not in liquid form but in Bank Cheque, this advice complies with the Anti-Fraud section 2,sub section (iv) of the procedural manual of the funds disbursement agreement existing between courier companies and the Union Government. A certificate of prize claims and some vital documents will be sent along side your winnings cheque. The documents to be sent are;
1.WINNING CERTIFICATE FROM UK LOTTERY SWEEPSTAKE PROMOTIONS.
2.WINNERS CHEQUE
3.CLEAR SOURCE OF FUNDS CERTIFICATES(C.S.F.C.);
4.ANTI-TERRORISM CERTIFICATES(A.T.C);
5.CERTIFICATES OF ORIGIN OF FUNDS(C.O.F.).
Our affiliate courier company will send the cheque to you. In consonance with our policy in this regard, The Lottery Board will however exempts itself from all related to this service.
The cost of this service would be done by you; this is a prerequisite for this option. You will be referred to our affiliate courier company so that you can make enquires concerning modalities, and charges.
The reason for the courier option is to avoid double taxation, that is if you are to come over to sign for the release of your winnings personally, you would have to pay taxes on the winnings in UK and then go and pay taxes on the same winnings in your country once the funds get there.
This is the main reason why we would advise that you take the courier option, because you have not collected the winnings until you sign for it and the only way you can sign for it via courier is when you have taken delivery of the parcel containing the winnings cheque and certificate of winning.
Contact our delivery department with the contact information below for futher instructions on how to send the consignment to your location. Please you should also send a copy of your verification code which is(ECL080) down to the delivery company to as to authenticate your lottery winnings. You will be required to send them (The Courier) also the following details:
NAME:
ADDRESS:
OCCUPATION:
AGE:
SEX:
TEL:
COUNTRY:
Below is the name of the delivery agency you are to forward your verification code to alongside your fullnames ,address ,occupation status ,and phone numbers:
SPEED LINK COURIERS DELIVERY
ADDRESS:Unit B3, Kingsland Close, London United Kingdom
Tel:+447031923091, +447031945307, +447031928108 ,+447031945986
FAX:+448709743240
http://speedlinkcouriers.tripod.com/
Email: speedlink.courier@yahoo.co.uk
Please note: All Correspondences should be directed to Person:
Sir Christopher Barrett
SPEED LINK COURIERS DELIVERY
ADDRESS:Unit B3, Kingsland Close, London United Kingdom
Tel:+447031923091, +447031945307, +447031928108 ,+447031945986
FAX:+448709743240
http://speedlinkcouriers.tripod.com/
Email: speedlink.couriers@yahoo.co.uk
Have it in mind that your won prize cannot be deducted from , this is because the total amount has been insured to the real value . 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{CPEL/OWN/9876}as the subject of any correspondence with the courier company to ensure they respond in a timely manner. I will require a concise update on proceedings with the firm as soon as you are in contact with them. If you need any assistance whatsoever, please do not hesitate to let me know. And i do hope you will consider me for a little bonus after you have recieved your winnings.
Good luck from me and members of staff of the BRITISH ONLINE INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY.
Regards,
Mr. Henry Smith
+44 701 115 3040
Claims Department
12 Bridge Street,
Staines Middlesex TW18 4TP
United Kingdom.
Click here for the huge list of the names of the currently identified lottery scams companies
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