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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:
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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:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "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.
  • +447031822227 (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.
  • blhagentbrown@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: onlinebritishlottery@latinmail.com
Date: Tue, 22 Aug 2006 05:15:38 -0800
Subject: FINAL WINNING NOTIFICATION

BRITISH LOTTERY HEADQUARTERS
CUSTOMER SERVICE,
28 TANFIELD ROAD,
CROYDON.LONDON.

Ref: BTL/491OXI/04
Batch: 12/25/0304
Date: 21/09/2006

FINAL WINNING NOTIFICATION:

We happily announce to you the draw of the British Lottery
International programmes held on the 19th of August 2006 in London. Your E-MAIL
ADDRESS attached to ticket number: 564 75600545 188 with Serial number
5388/02 drew the lucky numbers:31-6-26-13-35-7, which subsequently won you
the lottery in the 2ND CATEGORY. You are therefore, been approved to
claim a total sum of US$1,500,000.00 (One million, five hundred thousand,
United States Dollars) in cash credited to file C/9080118308/02. This
is from a total cash prize of US $75 Million Dollars, shared amongst the
first Fifty (50) lucky winners in this category. This year Lottery
Programme Jackpot is the largest ever for BRITISH LOTTERY. The estimated
$75 million jackpot would be the sixth biggest in U.K history. The
biggest was the $263 million jackpot that went to two winners in May 2000
drawing of The Big Game, Mega Million's predecessor.

Please NOTE that your lucky winning number falls within our European
booklet representative office in Europe as indicated in our play coupon.
In view of this, your US$1,500,000.00 (One million, five hundred
thousand, United States Dollars) would be released to you by our AFFILIATE
BANK. Our agent will immediately commence the process to facilitate the
release of your funds to you as soon as you make contact with him. All
participants were selected randomly from World Wide Web site through
computer draw system and extracted from over 100,000 companies. This
promotion takes place annually.

For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information
confidential till your claims is processed and your money remitted or
released to you in whatever manner you deem fit to claim your prize.
This is a part of our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and
unwarranted abuse of this programme by some unscrupulous elements.
PLEASE BE WARNED.

To file for your claim, please contact our Claims Agent with the below
details for processing of your claims.

Agent: Mr. Alex Brown.
Tel: +447031822227
Tel: +447024054532
Email: blhagentbrown@yahoo.co.uk

To avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please quote your
Reference/Batch Numbers.

Congratulations once more from all members and staffs of this
programme.

Your Sincerely,

Dr. Walter Gibson.
Zonal Co-ordinator,
BRITISH LOTTERY HEADQUARTERS

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam