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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
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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.

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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 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.
  • +447024013673 (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.
  • grandeuniversal@london.com

Fraud email example:

From: Betty Tailor <grandeuniversal_1@caramail.com>
Reply-To: grandeuniversal@atlas.cz
Date: Fri, 17 Mar 2006 16:55:04 +0100
Subject: Spring splash


GRAND UNIVERSAL PROMO 10 NORTHUMBERLAND AVENUE,
LONDON WC2N 5BX, THE UNITED KINGDOM.
FROM: THE DESK OF THE DIRECTOR PROMOTIONS,
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT
WINNING NOTIFICATION
We are pleased to inform you of the announcement today,17TH of MARCH 2006, of winners of the GRAND UNIVERSAL PROMO held on 8TH of MARCH 2006.
Your email address was attached to ticket number 13-2316-5086-477;with serial number A025-09 drew the lucky numbers 37-13-34-85-56-87, and consequently won in category A. You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of 500,000.00GBP in cash credited to file REF NO.GUPL/67-AO91652005.
This is from total prize money of 2,000.000.00GBP shared among the four international winners in the category A. All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from 100,000 companies/individuals from Middle East, Australia, New Zealand, America, Asia, Europe andNorth America as part of our International Promotions Program, which is conducted annually.
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.
ELIGIBILITY:
This promotion is offered only electronically via the Internet and is open to all persons from age 18 years and above with a valid email address and who live in any of the aforementioned countries. This promotion is void in all other countries and is also void where prohibited.
Principals and employees of the Universal Promotion Draw and its respective Parents, subsidiaries and their immediate families are not eligible.
CLAIMS PROCEDURES:
It is our standard practice to allocate accredited agents for the processing of claims application. It is even more imperative for overseas winners. To begin your claims therefore, you are advised as a matter of urgency, to contact the under listed licensed and accredited claims agent for the processing of your prize awards winning.
Please contact your claim agent (through your claims agent only) the body assigned with the verification of all emergent winner. Therefore all protocols laid down by them must be followed to facilitate your claims;We hope with a part of your prize, you will participate in our end of year high stakes 15MillionGBP international lotto.
TO FILE YOUR CLAIM RESPOND BACK TO YOUR CLAIM AGENT WITH THE FOLLOWING
INFORMATION BELOW
CLAIM AGENT:
MR. John Edwards
Email:grandeuniversal@london.com
Tel:+ 44-702-401-3673
20 Lausanne Road London,
SW2 3JB ENGLAND.U.K
1. NAME IN FULL:................................
2. ADDRESS:.....................................
3. NATIONALITY:.................................
4. AGE:.........................................
5. OCCUPATION:..................................
6. PHONE/FAX:...................................
7.COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE.........
He will brief you on steps to be taken for due processing and remittance of your prize money.
Remember, you must contact him using his mailing address not later than two weeks after this date or funds will be returned as unclaimed.
NOTE: In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please remember to quote your reference number in every one of your correspondences.
Ticket number 13-2316-5086-477
Serial number A025-09
Lucky numbers 37-13-34-85-56-87
File REF NO. GUPL/67-AO91652004
Congratulations again from all our staff and thank you for being part of our promotions program.
Sincerely,
Betty Tailor.
For:
Richard K. Lloyds.
THE DIRECTOR PROMOTIONS,
GRAND UNIVERSAL PROMO
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DISCLAIMER:
DO NOT REPLY BACK TO THIS MAIL, CONTACT YOUR CLAIM AGENT, IF YOU DO, IT WILL AUTOMATICALLY RESULT TO DISQUALIFICATION TO YOUR WINNINGS.ANY BREACH OF CONFIDENTIALITY ON YOUR PART WILL ALSO DISQUALIFY YOU AS WELL.The Universal Promotion LOTTERY Awards is proudly sponsored by the Microsoft Corporation, the Intel Group,Toshiba, Dell computers, Mackintosh and a conglomeration of other international IT companies. The Universal Promotion LOTTERY internet draws in each quarter of the year and is so organized to encourage the use of the internet and computers worldwide. We are proud to say that up to One hundred Million Dollars are won annually in more than 150 Countries worldwide.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam