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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
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
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• What can you do when you receive 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:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "greater london" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
• 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.
  • +447023054605 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
  • +448701215589 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: "UK National Lottery" <webonlinegamespromotions3@msn.com>
Date: Sat, 07 Jan 2006 23:07:18 +0000
Subject: Re: Online Random Search Draws!!!

FROM: THE DESK OF THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER,
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT,
The National Lottery
P O Box 101
THE MARINA OFFICE, ST PETERS
YACHT BASIN, NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE,
NE6 1HX ENGLAND
UNITED KINGDOM
(Customer Services)
Ref: UKNL/05/8256/53219/QE327, Batch: UKNL5/A115-07
 
RE/AWARD NOTIFICATION; FINAL NOTICE
 
We happily announce to you the draw (#1034) of the UK NATIONAL LOTTERY,
online Sweepstakes International program held today. Your e-mail
address attached to ticket number: 56475600545 188 with Serial number 5368/02 drew the lucky Numbers (08) (14) (19) (28) (29) (48)
 
(Bonus 06), which subsequently won you the
lottery in the 2nd category i.e. match 5 plus bonus.
 
You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of £1,500,000
(one million five hundred thousand great British pounds sterling) in cash
credited to file KTU/9023118308/03.
 
This is from a total cash prize of £10,500,000 shared amongst the
first seven (7) lucky winners in this category i.e. Match 5 plus bonus. All
participants for the online version were selected randomly from World
Wide Web sites through computer draw system and extracted from over 100,000
unions, associations, and corporate bodies that are listed online. This
promotion takes place weekly.
 
Please note that your lucky winning number falls within our European
booklet representative office in Europe as indicated in your play
coupon.
In view of this, your £1,500,000 (one million five hundred thousand
Great Britain pounds sterling) would be released to you by any of our payment offices in Europe. Our European agent will immediately commence the
process to facilitate the release of your funds as soon as you contact
him.
 
For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information
confidential till your claims is processed and your money remitted to
you in whatever manner you deem fit to claim your prize. This is part of
our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of
this program. Please be warned. To file for your claim, please contact
our fiduciary Agent:
 
DR.REX MCARTHY
FOREIGN DEPARTMENT MANAGER
ACE FINANCE LIMITED UK
GREATER LONDON
E113AA LONDON
Tel:    +44-702-3054-605
Fax:  +44-709-2863-632
Email: dr_rexmcarthyfinancedept@officeemail.net
 
You can go to our online result site to confirm the Value of your
winnings and also get a prize
breakdown:-http://www.national-lottery.com/results.asp
 
Good luck from me and members of staff of the UK NATIONAL LOTTERY.
Remember, all winning must be claimed not later than two weeks of this
notification.
Please note, in order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications,
remember to quote your reference number and batch numbers in all
correspondence.
 
Furthermore, should there be any change of address do inform our agent
as soon as possible.
 
Once again congratulations.
 
YOURS FAITHFULLY,
MR FOREST TOM.
THE COORDINATOR,
UK NATIONAL LOTTERY.
THE MARINA OFFICE, ST PETERS
YACHT BASIN, NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE,
NE6 1HX ENGLAND
Fax: +44-870-121-5589
Fax: +44-870-135-8048
Tel: +44-7040-125-187
Tel: +44-7040-125-193
Online coordinator for UK NATIONAL LOTTERY
Sweepstakes International Program

 

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam