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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:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "hundred thousand united states dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
• 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.
  • +447014216637 (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.
  • playholidaypromo@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: HOLIDAY POST PROMO <info@lotto.org>
Date: 24 Nov 2006 15:00:20 -0800
Subject: CONTACT: MR .STEVEN RAY

MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/html
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit


HOLIDAY POST PROMO
11 parlemo road.
NW10 5YP.
LONDON
UNITED KINGDOM.

Dear Winner,

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

HOLIDAY POST PROMO

We are pleased to inform you of the result of the Holiday Post Promo held on 20th October ,2006.Your e-mail
address attached to ticket number: H7280P15 with Serial number 86D83/72 drew the lucky numbers: 95 87 33 05
35(bonus no),which subsequently won you the lottery

You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of $500,000.00(Five Hundred Thousand United States
Dollars) in cash, which is the winning payout for First category winners.This is from the total prize money of
$3,500,000.00 shared among the seven winners in the first category.

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 until the end of the year. (31/01/2007) Please note that your lucky winning number
falls within our European booklet representative office in Europe as indicated in your play coupon.(964773911) In
view of this, your $500,000.00(Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) 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 claim is
processed and your money remitted to you in whatever manner you deem fit to claim your prize.

please you are advised to contact the agent with your winning numbers, 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 and Provide him with the information below:

(i).Your name(s),
(ii) Your telephone and fax numbers
(iii) Your contact address
(iv) Your winning information (including amount won).

Contact: Mr.Steven Ray
E-mail: playholidaypromo@yahoo.co.uk
Tel: +447014216637
+447014217117

CONGRATULATIONS ONCE AGAIN.

Yours faithfully,
Ms.Sandra Stidum
Online coordinator for
HOLIDAY POST PROMO

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam