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UK National Lottery Scams: The National Lottery, Richard Reichlin, Hilary Scott
UK National Lottery Scams:
Example:
The National Lottery
"Richard Reichlin", "Hilary Scott"
Have you received an email from "Richard Reichlin" at the "The National Lottery" telling you that you won the a prize and to send money via Western Union to "Hilary Scott" to pay to deliver your winnings check (they even included a sample check!)? It is a scam.
There are only two legal large lotteries in Britain, the National Lottery and the Monday Lottery, anyway. You must buy a ticket in order to win, and even if you bought a ticket, it is up to you to match the numbers and notify them that you won - they wouldn't notify you (how would they know you won, anyway!?) 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:
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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. Your email address cannot ever "win" you a lottery.
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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.
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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?
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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!
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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.
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Courier / delivery charges are high due to Hardcover insurance Policy - If you respond to them, you will usually receive an email telling you you must pay delivery charges. First, as we mentioned earlier, no winner would ever have to pay delivery charges in a real lottery, sweepstakes or promotion. Secondly, there is no such thing as "hardcover insurance policies" . Go search in Google and see if you can find a definition for it!
Here is a typical scam lottery winning notification.
Actual scam email (One example - the scammers constantly change names, dates and addresses!):
From: "Richard Reichlin" < gtl-paymaster@swissmail.org >
Subject: Your Check is Ready
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 01:24:18 +0200
ATTENTION: Maria Sosa.
Dear Madam,
The National Lottery limited has issued a certified bank draft in your favor and it is in our possession ready for delivery to you (see the attached file a scanned copy/sample of the bank draft).
CAUTION! For sighting only! DO NOT PRESENT DRAFT FOR CLEARING! Draft shall be validated and activated at the instance of its dispatch for delivery.
Obviously, Since the lottery company has cut the check in the total value of your winning, you will have to bear the cost of delivering the check; there can be no deduction from the amount issued as the bank draft, and we have no power to make such deduction. You are advised, as a matter of urgency, to indicate your choice from the options of the delivery of your bank draft listed below, to enable us dispatch it as quick as possible to you through our accredited courier agency that undertakes all courier services and the delivery of checks to all lottery winners processed by us.
The options for the delivery of your winning bank draft:
Category A: First Class (Expedited) Delivery === Within 48 hours==US$1.021.00.
Category B: Regular delivery === Within 72 hours=== US$519.00.
Category C: Economy Delivery === Within 5 Working Days === US$389.00.
You are required to indicate the category of your choice,and forward its cost to this office, through Western Union Money Transfer, using the information below:
BENEFICIARY: HILARY SCOTT.
BENEFICIARY ADDRESS: 8 CANADA SQUARE, LONDON E14 5HQ.
TELEPHONE #: +44 702 896 2808.
TEST QUESTION: CODE.
TEST ANSWER: AUTHORIZATION.
The Remittance Instruction Form, containing the Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN), for the prescribed payment shall contain the correct and precise account particulars as above stated. NO OTHER INFORMATION SHALL, AT THE PAYER?S DISCRETION, BE INCLUDED OR DEDUCTED WHATSOEVER TO THE ACCOUNT DETAILS GIVEN ABOVE. ANY DISREGARD OF THIS NOTE OF CAUTION SHALL RESULT IN THE AUTOMATIC NON-ACCEPTANCE OF THE FUNDS AND SHALL BE RETURNED, SUMMARILY TO THE PAYER/ACCOUNT FROM WHICH THE FUNDS WERE REMITTED.
Upon remittance, the payer shall thereafter be liable to submit to this Office by fax on 44-7006-098-539, Two (2) copies of the Western Union Money Transfer Payment Instruction Form or by scanned email attachment to gtl-paymaster@swissmail.org
Please be informed and treat as serious.
Thank you, and congratulation in advance.
Yours faithfully,
Richard Reichlin.
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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