KENYANS MAY BE LOOSING MILLIONS OF SHILLINGS TO A SYNDICATE OF INTERNATIONAL TRICKSTER ON FAKE LOTTO LOTTERY SWEEPTAKE IN THE UK

  By Leo Odera Omolo 
  Kisumu
  15-12-2006 

              There is a big international Internet scare in Kenya
after it has been discovered that a syndicate of international crooks are fleecing citizen of this country millions of shillings through fake offer in bogus lucky Day Lottery in UK.
 
              Kenyans are promptly responding to this hoax and fake "winners" have suffered in total silence and many more could incur loses of money through the syndicate, which is believed to be comprising of West African tricksters operating in both the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
 
              Unsuspecting Kenyans and citizens of other countries have been lured and duped to part with their money through fake winning lucky tickets offers via internet messages requesting them to deposit or post by swift means inter-banks transfer close to Kshs 42,000/= before their lottery prizes of Euro pounds 500,000 can be processed and transferred to their bank accounts at home.
 
              A cartel of an organized syndicate of international chains of fraudsters are on the loose rampage swindling Kenyans of millions of shillings through the fake U.K. based Lotto luck Day Lottery Sweepstake result wins.
 
              The crooks who are believed to based in both the U.K. and the Netherlands are targeting people with E-mail addresses and
communicating the fake result of Lotto Lottery Sweepstake draws via internet.
 
              Thousands and even millions unsuspecting people all over the world are cunningly duped to believe they had won prizes worth millions of both British Sterling pounds or in Euro pounds in the recent draws of the U.K. based lucky Day Lotto Lottery Sweepstake. These chains of international crooks could as well be in full operations in other Europeans countries, the US and in the whole of African continent.
 
              Thousands of Kenyans especially those having addresses in the Internet must have received these chains of cheating offers in their mailboxes. The fraudsters targeted young people studying in universities and other institutions of higher learning in foreign countries and also at home.
 
              The tricksters are said to be targeting multinational companies involved in the transfer of million of shillings, which they are capable of intercepting in transit once they are in possession of any secret code of swift transfer of money from one country to the other.  Many people have become the victims in silent and business is said to be highly lucrative judging from the crook's well designed and decorated payment claim forms, which are being posted to the victims via the E-mail attachments.
 
              Internet users are in danger of losing millions through the swindlers who appear to have perfected in the arts of deceits. A young Kenyan studying in the U.K. whose parents were fond of sending her money via swift transfer code to her corresponding bank in Britain, recently fell victim loosing up to Kshs 90,000/- in two transactions. The victim parted with her money thinking she had struck it rich, but never heard of the tricksters once she remitted her part of the required Euro 450 pounds via normal transfers.
 
              The whole episode starts with an online notification of the purported "winners" which is posted from a London address via Internet. The "winner's" notification correspondence is forged showing it had come from the U.K. National Online Lottery (Home Office) whose physical address is given as 165 fulham Palace Road, W6 8JB, Kingdom (U.K.).
 
              The name of the sender of the letter is given as Sir Stephen Smith whose title is given as the co-coordinator (Online Promotion Programme) of the U.K. based Lotto lucky Day Sweepstake.
 
              In the chain of hoaxes the victim is requested to contact one Henry Preston whose E-mail address is given as henrprestn@yahoo.co-uk. This first "winners" notification letter normally request the victim to provide a brief C.V covering his/her nationality, country of resident, phone number, facsimile number, the "winning" ticket number full name, occupation physical address, age and sex.
 
              Mr. Henry Preston, the representatives physical address is given as follows;10 comelot close Thamesmesmead, London E280 6ES,U.K.And at first the alleged prizes would be quoted in the British Sterling Pounds and the date of the draw is given,i.e (for example)8-12-2006 and the winning ticket number is quoted extensively in the letter as well as references and batch numbers.
 
              The next stage of this seemingly well organized syndicate of thieves, the victim would receive the second "Winners" Online Notification, but this time around the date of the draw of the winning ticket is changed i.e. (for example) 14-12-2006 and the next contact agent's name is given as a Mr. Wilson Hillary of the complete solutions Ltd and his E-mail address is wilsonhillary@netscape.net.
 
              This is followed by the name sent. Now a third person in the chain of command in the fraud is given as Mr. Paul Green, the promotion Manager of the Lucky Day Lotto Internet Draws.
 
              Mr. Paul Green would duly advised "Winner" of the lucky ticket that the Award is an international draw event being held annually. It is sponsored by Microsoft Corporation of the United States in conjunction with Intel Group, Toshiba Group, Dell computers, Mackintosh and a conglomeration of other international multinational companies. This letter would tell the victim that the Lucky Day Lotto Internet Draw is held once a year, and that it is so organized to encourage the user of Internet and computer IT worldwide.
 
              The next and the third letter explains to the victim to fill in his/her claims form which is elaborately designed in colour, and which is separately sent by an attachment e-mail requesting for the fine details and particulars of the victim's bank account number, the swift transfer code of the corresponding bank abroad and the name of the beneficiary's relatives.
 
              The victim is told precisely to fill the prize processing form so that the organizers could commence with the notarization/legalization of his/her prize in the High Court in the Netherlands gaming board. This is purported to secure proper legitimacy, legalization, and establishment of ownership from the High Court of Justice and the Netherlands gaming board. Once this process is completed, the organizers shall forward the winners personal information and certified copies of the proof of ownership obtained from High Court of Justice and the Netherlands gaming board to the paying bank to within 48 hours, initiate the swift transfers of the total sums of money which the victim is alleged to have won into his/her bank account or by cheque as he/she would choose
in the attached prize in the claim form.
 
              The alleged "Winners" or the victim is duly informed that the cash money payment is only possible for the residents and nationals of the Netherlands. All non-nationals of advised to indicate in time their willingness to participate in the annual prize giving ceremony.
 
              And for purported public relations, promotion, publicity and commercial reasons, the presentation take place in a given date before the Christmas Festivities and the ceremony would be televised alive by the national television channel in the Netherlands.
 
              For clarity sake, the victims are requested to return any completed prize.    Processing forms back to the organizers via E-mail attachment. For
further information the victims are requested to contact the claim officer Mr. Willison Hillary whose contact phone number is given as 0031) 62268322 in the Netherlands.
 
              After the crooks have taken the victim to a circle of chains of numerous hotline correspondences, in the final the victim is requested to post his/her own money to the tune of Euro pound 450 in his/her own country currency equivalent to facilitate the transactions fees, legal costs, insurance fees because the said sums of Euro 450 pound cannot not be deducted from the prime prizes as this is alleged prohibited by the law of Netherlands. The victim is instructed to post his/her money via the Western Union before the prize money is posted to his/her bank account via the corresponding bank.
 
  The Euro Pounds is equivalent to Kshs 42,000/- and as such is not a paltry amount of money. Many unsuspecting Kenyans and citizen of other countries have rushed in to posting the Euro 450 Pounds in the hope of getting  rich overnight and have fallen the victims in silence as because once they parted with their money, this bring to an end what is otherwise looking like a very lucrative financial deal which could turn someone from a pauper to a multimillionaire overnight.
 
              These chains hoaxes truly looked very lucrative, and the master minders have perfected to the state of the art of trickery. And the usually victims are those financial and overzealous ambitious young men and women and financially aggressive youths in many countries who would like to strike it rich and become multimillionaires overnight.
 
  But any intelligent person would quickly make an intelligent guess work and easily detect some serious loopholes and contradictions in the rapidly written chain of letters, which in some cases are devoid of serious intellect and intelligence. It is indeed, hard for any sane person to believe that a lotto Lucky Day Lottery drawn and won in the United Kingdom could go all the circles and find its final payout place in the Netherlands due to the fact that there are laws and rules governing the UK Lotteries and payments to be made to foreign beneficiaries, especially when the amount of money involved in such deals is so colossal.   Judging from the speed with which the organizers are acting, one
could easily detect the ugly face of fraud and tricksters. The language and
contents of the sweet sugarcoated letters and chain of correspondences in rapid succession, and names of the people involved.
 
  In the final act, the last letter is signed by a Mr.Udoka Ejiotor, who is purported to be the receiving credit officer, but the same letter still emerges via Mr. Wilson Hillary's e-mail address. The citizens of Kenya, all other commonwealth countries, Africa and beyond who have become the victims and suffered in total silence in the hands of these fake international crooks and fraudsters should be fore warned of the danger of loosing their hard earned money if they open up to swindlers.
 
   A thorough check with both the British High Commission and the Embassy of the Netherlands in the Kenyan Capital Nairobi revealed that the organizers of the On line Lucky Day Lottery Schweepstake could be the work of international crooks out to deprive many people of the legitimately earned money. Most of the names given in the chain of letters are also fake and non-existent and so are the addresses with the exception of one or two e-mail addresses.
 
  Some of these fraudsters could be operating from safe addresses in Ougadaugoue, Lagos and other West African cities considering the author's
written English. But the authorities in both Great Britain and Netherlands must immediately constitute a thorough investigation with a view to ascertain and even unearth the sources of fraudsters operations in their countries, which are used as conduit by conmen out for mischief.   

  Ends.
  leooderaomolo@yahoo.com      

The writer is LUOCOME REPORTER based in Kisumu. We urge all LUOCOME members with pressing issues pertaining to media and press releases to kindly contact him from any where in world. He will assist you to get true picture of your Village Developement.
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