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Sir. Stephen Smith

Sample Lottery Scam Email: UK Online Lottery
Sir. Stephen Smith, Paul Dyer

Have you received an email saying you won the "UK Online Lottery" or some other "online lottery" in the UK? Before you go on a spending spree, you should know that there is no such thing as the "UK Online Lottery". The only legal lotteries in Britain are  "The National Lottery Commission" (operated by the Camelot Group plc) and and the Monday Lottery, and they do NOT use email to notify winners. Below is a scam email actually received.

Note the usual clues to an obvious fraud that we have highlighted in the letter; keep confidential, selected by a random computer lottery of email addresses, use of free hotmail/yahoo email accounts, etc.


Also see these pages:


Date: Fri, 2 Mar 2007
From: promo.results@cox.net
Subject: Notification Letter

ONLINE NOTIFICATION UNIT.
UK NATIONAL ONLINE LOTTERY (HOME OFFICE).
HOME OFFICE: 165 FULHAM PALACE ROAD
W6 8JB, UNITED KINGDOM.

REFERENCE NUMBER: UKL/478593G9/19
BATCH NUMBER: 01/209/AD16G
OUR REF: 12190/14
TICKET NUMBER: 112-4540-525-106
CASH PRIZE: 480,152.00GBP

Congratulations,

This email is to inform you that you have emerged a winner on our online draws which was played on the 28th of February, 2007. For further information about your winnings, do contact the fiduciary agent assigned to your file vian email as indicated below.

Official(agent): Mr. Paul Dyer
Email: pauldyer67@yahoo.co.uk

Note: You are required to quote your reference, batch and ticket numbers as given above in your email to your fiduciary agent.

Yours truly,
Sir. Stephen Smith
Group Co-ordinator


Common signs that it is a scam:

  • the return email addresses are free Yahoo email accounts,

  • The recipient "won" without buying a ticket (so where does the money come from?)

  • "For security reasons" you're not allowed to talk to anyone about it (especially the police or consumerfraudreporting.org!) - which ought to be odd since lotteries thrive on publicity!


Names of Scam / Fake / Fraud Lottery 

Click here for the huge list of the names of the currently identified lottery scams companies

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