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UK National Lottery Scams: UK Lottery Board; Mr. Ian Louis and Mr. Carl A Houghton

Sample Email Scams Involving the British National Lottery
UK Lottery Board
Mr. Ian Louis, Overseas Subscribers Agent, Mr. Carl A Houghton

How to Recognize Them and What To Do If You Receive One

These clever little criminals going by the names "Mr. Ian Louis" and "Mr. Carl A Houghton" send this email to you ONLY if you do not live in the UK.  The obvious because they include some language from the real UK National Lottery that says you can come to their payment centre to collect a cheque. However, if the obvious fact that NO lottery ever emails people to tell them they won, and you can't win from your email address, without buying a ticket;  that's what the scammers are counting on, a combination of greed and stupidity on the part of the victims.

Of course, there are only two legal 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, click here to see what you will likely receive back.

For your education and entertainment, we have highlighted some of the obvious clues that this is a scam; such as the use of a free Yahoo email account and the omnipresent claim that your "email address attached to ticket..." was the key to winning. As if email addresses are used to hand out money...

In the UK, call the hotline at 020 7211 8111 to check or report lottery scams.


Fraud Example


ROSS-ON-WYE REGIONAL CLAIMS OFFICE.
Lottery Prize Winning Confirmation - Payment

From The Desk of:
Mr. Ian Louis
Foreign Service Manager
Overseas Subscribers Agent
Email lottery promotion regional office
11 Ross-On-Wye, Herefordshire,HR9 9WB
United Kingdom
Tell : + 44 703 192 0669
: 44 207 060 0486
Fax : + 44 870 479 1713
Email:  claimsonlinehelpdesk@yahoo.co.uk

REFERENCE Nº: EGS/2251256003/03

BATCH Nº: 14/0017/1PD

Attention Winner: John Doe

This is in response to your email enquiry fowarded to this office for claiming lottery Prize, we have verified on the system and confirmed with the UK Lottery Board that your reference and batch numbers is legitimate, the valued Prize still valid with your email address {} as selected via computer ballot system a winner with:

REFERENCE Nº: EGS/2251256003/03

BATCH Nº: 14/0017/1PD

PROCEDURE TO CLAIM PRIZE

Option #1. To claim your prize you need to come down to any of the UK Lottery payment centre by 2nd March, 2007 to redeem your prize as you have won in second category. You are required to be present physically in the payment office with your Identification in The United Kingdom or Amsterdam (Holland) and at the EU payment bank before the 14days deadline for claiming your Email lottery prize.

Option #2. In the event of your inability to make it personally to any of the above mention payment centers, an in-house EU affiliated attorney will be appointed to process your claim on your behalf, to endorse all legal discharge document and send your prize check to you or sign transfer Release bond at the paying bank.

Note: All email lottery prizes are insured by a high cover insurance policy and thus can not be any deduction. All payout is in full amount for instrument of payment (certified check) or direct transfers are "BONDED". All processing cost to dispatching your prize to you is to be paid by you as they can not be deducted from the prize.

Therefore you are to notify us which option is best suitable for you to redeem your prize. We shall send you a claim application form immediately to fill and submit to the Payment committee to commence the process of redeeming your lucky lottery prize or to be sent to your appointed attorney if you choose option #2.

Congratulations once again.

Sincerely,

Mr. Ian Louis
Foreign Service Manager
Overseas Subscribers Agent
For The UK National lottery Board.

life stories to find out how some of our big winners have changed their lives.

Joseph Ashworth was delighted to discover that he had cracked the case to net a £1,173,072 share of the Lotto jackpot on Saturday 27th January,2007.

Yours faithfully,

Carl A Houghton (Mr.)

Director.International Promotions Unit,

NOTE: Claiming your winnings.

© Copyright © 1994-2006 The UK Lottery International Promotion Inc.

If your prize is up to £75, you can claim it in cash from any National Lottery retailer. All you've got to do is give them your winning ticket to validate through their Lottery terminal. The terminal will then produce a validation slip which will show the value of your prize. Check this against the amount paid out and return it to the retailer. At their discretion, all retailers can pay prizes up to £200 in cash. Some National Lottery retailers are authorized to pay prizes of up to £500. National Lottery Post Offices will pay out prizes of up to £10,000, though prizes over £500 will be paid by cheque. Anything above £10,000 must be claimed in person from a National Lottery Regional Centre or via any of our fiduciary agents and will be paid by cheque or direct bank transfer (no cash is held on office premises). If you match all six main numbers, or five plus the bonus number, please call us immediately or your appointed fiduciary claims agent for assistance in claiming your prize and your appointed fiduciary agents will be willing to assist you. (Calls normally charged at local rate in the UK). To claim any prize above £500, you will have to complete a Claim Form and give proof of your identity.

If you are claiming a large prize, additional checks on your winning ticket and email address may be conducted. All National Email Lottery prizes must be claimed by 11.59pm, 14 days after the winning draw.

Copyright © 1994-2006 The UK Lottery International Promotion Inc.

All rights reserved. Terms of Service - Guideline

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