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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
• "Is that email a scam?" - Check it online here!
  
• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
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Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
• This email message is a fake lottery scam. Consider the following facts about real lotteries:
  
  1. They don't notify winners by email.
  2. You can't win without first buying a lottery ticket.
  3. They don't randomly select email addresses to award prizes to.
  4. They don't use free email accounts (Yahoo, Hotmail, etc) to communicate with you.
  5. They don't tell you to call a mobile phone number.
  6. They don't tell you to keep your winnings secret.
  7. They will never ask a winner to pay any fees to receive a prize!
• This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
  • soscarecentre@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: "david Collins" <sospromo@msn.com>
Date: Thu, 06 Oct 2005 17:09:40 +0000
Subject: Congratulations!!

SAVE OUR SOUL LOTTERY,
Flat 4, 14 Lancaster Gate,
London W1 3LH.



FROM:
THE DESK OF THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER,
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL INTERNET EXTRA AWARD PROGRAM,
REF: SOS/4554256007/77 BATCH: 14/0017/IPD



AWARD NOTIFICATION



We are pleased to inform you of the announcement today, 6TH OCTOBER, 2005,
of winners of the promotional SAVE OUR SOUL SWEEPSTAKES LOTTERY UNITED
KINGDOM/ INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS held on 4TH OCTOBER, 2005 as part of our
yearly bonanza.
Your company/EMAIL, attached to ticket number 025-1146-1992-750, with serial
number
2113-05 drew the lucky numbers 13-15-22-37-39-43, and consequently won the
lottery in the 3rd category.
You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of US$2,800,000.00
(Two Million, Eight Hundred Thousand Dollars only) in Cash credited to file
REF NO. SOS/4554256007/77.
This is from total prize money of US$20,600,000.00 shared among the
seventeen
international winners in this category. All participants were selected
through a computer ballot system drawn form 25,000 names from the Middle
East, Asia,
Africa, Canada, Europe, USA and North America as part our International
Promotions Program to aid and assist disaster victims, which is conducted
annually.
CONGRATULATIONS!
Your fund is now deposited with Finance and Security House insured in your
name. Due to the mix up of some numbers and names, we ask that You keep
this award strictly from public notice until your claim has been processed
and your money remitted to your account. This is part of our security
protocol to avoid double claiming or unscrupulous acts by participants of
this
program.
We hope with a part of your prize, you will participate in our end of year
high stakes US$1.2 billion International Lottery.
To begin your claim, please contact your claim agent:

EDDY GREY WATT,
FOREIGN SERVICE MANAGER,
LIBERTY FREEHOLD FINANCE,
London UK
EMAIL: soscarecentre@yahoo.com


For due processing and remittance of your prize money to a designated
account
of your choice.
Remember, you must contact your claim agent not later than 20TH OCTOBER,
2005.
After this date, all funds will be returned as unclaimed.
NOTE:
In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please remember
to Quote your
reference and batch numbers in every one of your correspondences with your
agent.
Furthermore, should there be any change of your address, do inform your
claims agent as soon as possible.
Congratulations again from all our staff and thank you for being part of
our Promotions program.

Yours Sincerely,



Paul Collins
THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER,
SAVE OUR SOUL SWEEPSTAKES LOTTERY UK

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam