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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• 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:

• 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 mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +448701349311 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
• 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.
  • michaelfoster_thunder@yahoo.co.uk
  • michael_foster@mail.com

Fraud email example:

From: "elizabeth clint" <elizabethclint@msn.com>
Reply-To: michaelfoster_thunder@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Sat, 15 Oct 2005 16:17:27 +0000
Subject: AWARD DEPARTMENT OF THUNDER-BALL UK

FROM: INTERNATIONAL CHARITY/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT OF THUNDER-BALL UK
LTD.

ATTN: Sir/Madam

Congratulations as you are among the lucky winners that were selected by an
advanced automated random computer search over the internet as no tickets
were sold for thisprogram, and thus have been registered for further
consideration in the THUNDER-BALL UK INTERNATIONAL CHARITYprogram for the
year 2005.

Lucky winners were selected at random via a computer ballot system drawnfrom
5,000,000 email addresses of individuals and Corporate bodies from
Africa,America, Asia, Australia,Europe, Middle East, and Oceania.

Your email address drew ticket number 574-2005, serial umber 04-45 and6-AA
in the preference A252 Category. You have thereforebeen awarded a prize
sumpay out of £2,500,000.00 (Two Million Five Hundred Great Britain Pounds).

However there are only 3 prize payout in the A category,therefore it is of
utmost importance, that you carefully follow these instructions in claiming
your prize money in order to avoid mix up of winning information of any
kind, we request that you keep the entire details of youraward strictlyfrom
public notice until the process of transfer of your claims hasbeen
completed, and your funds remitted to your account. This is part of our
security protocol to avoidcases of double claiming or unscrupulous acts by
participants/non
participants of this program.

This notification does not guarantee immediate collection of prize money, as
all necessary paper work must be carriedout. Your funds is insured to
thefull value of £2,500,000.00 (Two Million Five Hundred
ThousandGreatBritain Pounds).

Fo confirmation of your selection as a winner, you are TO FORWARD a
copyofthis notification email to our director of operations with
detailsbelow:

Mr. Michael Foster,
Directors of Operations,
THUNDERBALL UK LTD,
under-Ball House,
221 Albemarle Street,
London W1S 4BS,
United Kingdom.
email: michaelfoster_thunder@yahoo.co.uk
cc: michael_foster@mail.com
Tel: +44 8701349311
Fax: +44 8701223888

congratulations once again from all staff of THUNDERBALL UKLTD and it is
ourhope that you participate in any of our international programs in the
nearest future.

Sincerely,
Miss Eliza Clint,
Customer Service Manager,
Prize Award Department,
THUNDERBALL UK LTD,
Thunder-Ball House,
221 Albemarle Street,
London W1S 4BS,
United Kingdom.

NOTE: BE REMINDED TO KEEP THE ENTIRE DETAILS OF YOUR AWARD STRICTLY
FROM PUBLIC NOTICE UNTIL THE PROCESS OF TRANSFER OF YOUR CLAIMS HAS
BEENCOMPLETED, AND YOUR FUNDS REMITTED TO YOUR ACCOUNT.


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam