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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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")
• 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.
  • billy_scott2@excite.com

Fraud email example:

From: "notification officer" <britishsweeptakes_2005@msn.com>
Date: Mon, 17 Oct 2005 00:31:22 +0000
Subject: YOU ARE A WINNER!!!

The National Lottery
P O Box 1010
Liverpool, L70 1NL
UNITED KINGDOM
(Customer Services)
Ref: UK/9420X2/68
Batch: 074/05/ZY369

FINAL WINNING NOTIFICATION:

Dear Lucky Winner,

RE: BONUS LOTTERY PROMOTION PRIZE AWARDS WINNING NOTIFICATION

We are pleased to notify you the draw (#915) of the UK NATIONAL
LOTTERY,
Online Sweepstakes International Lottery Program held on Saturday 15th
October 2005.
Participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from
a pool of over 25,000
names of distinguished professionals drawn from Europe, America, Asia,
Australia, New
Zealand, Middle-East, parts of Africa, and North & South America as
part of our
international promotions programme conducted annually to encourage
prospective overseas
entries. We hope with part of your prize awards, you will take part in
our subsequent
lottery jackpots.
The result of our computer draw (#915) selected your name and email
address attached to
e-ticket number: 56475600545 188 with Serial number 5368/02 drew the
lucky numbers:
04-14-23-31-35-41(bonus no.24), 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 £800,000,00
(Eight Hundred Thousand
Pounds Sterling) in cash credited to file KTU/9023118308/03.This is
from a total cash prize
of £4,800,000,00 shared amongst the first Six (6) lucky winners in this
category i.e. Match 5
plus bonus.
Your prize award has been insured in your name and is ready for claims.
To begin your claims
therefore, you are advised to expeditiously contact our licensed and
accredited claim agent
for Overseas Lottery Winners within a period of 21 days (date of this
email inclusive) for
the processing of your winning and remittance to your designated bank
account after all
statutory obligations have been satisfactorily dispensed with.
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 £800,000,00 (Eight
Hundred Thousand Pounds
Sterling) would be released to you by any of our payment offices in
Europe.
Please be informed that claims not processed within the stipulated
period may be forfeited
to the pool without further notice.
Our European agent will immediately commence the process to facilitate
the release of your
funds as soon as you contact him. You may wish to establish contact via
e-mail with the
particulars presented below citing the batch and reference numbers to
this letter between
the hours of 8.00am - 7.30pm on Monday through Friday

Overseas Claims Unit
United Kingdom Lottery Fediciary Agent
Contact Person: MR. BILLY SCOTT
Email: billy_scott2@excite.com

PLEASE FILLUP THE VERIFICATION AND CLERANCE FORM AND SEND TO MR
BILLY SCOTT VIA EMAIL.

1.FULL NAMES:__________________________________
2.ADDRESS:_____________________________________________
____________________________________________
3.SEX:_______________
4.AGE:________
5.MARITAL STATUS:___________________
6.OCCUPATION:________________________
7.E-MAIL ADDRESS:_____________________________
8.TELEPHONE NUMBER:_____________________
9.BATCH NUMBER:____________________ B. REF NUMBER:______________
10.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF COMPANY/INDIVIDUAL___________
11.AMOUNT WON:___________________________________
___________________________________________
12. COUNTRY________________________________

Our winners are assured of the utmost standards of confidentiality, and
press anonymity
until the end of proceedings, and beyond where they so desire. Be
further advised to
maintain the strictest level of confidentiality until the end of
proceedings to circumvent
problems associated with fraudulent claims. This is part of our
precautionary measure to
avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

At your disposal, we remain.
Very Truly Yours,

Paul Young...

The National Lottery
P O Box 1010
Liverpool, L70 1NL
UNITED KINGDOM

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam