Julie Leach, a Michigan woman who won a $310.5 million Powerball jackpot in 2015, is now the unwitting face of a widespread lottery scam.
The “419” scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.
Cybercriminals, particularly from Nigeria, are using Julie’s name under the hotmail email address Julieleach01@hotmail.com to deceive individuals worldwide into providing personal information or sending money under the false pretense of receiving a lottery prize.
Victims typically receive unsolicited messages via email, social media, or text, claiming to be from Leach or a foundation bearing her name.
The emails messages often state that Leach is distributing part of her winnings to “lucky winners” and request personal details such as full name, address, and banking information.
Reports indicate that individuals have been contacted by scammers posing as Leach, offering sums of up to $2,000,000.00USD.
Victims are often directed to communicate with supposed agents or delivery personnel and are pressured to pay fees before receiving any funds
