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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:
  • ",000,000" (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.
  • +447045715868 (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.
  • greenhawrd@aim.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: UK NATIONAL LOTTERY <info@national-lottery.co.uk>
Reply-To: greenhawrd@aim.com
Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2007 06:29:36 +0200
Subject: Mrs Edit Olds


Mrs Edit Olds
21 Bloomsbury Street
London WC1B 3XD,
United Kingdom.
www.national-lottery.co.uk

Ref: DENL/9383/8161/99
Batch: GI/SE12-59

Government Accredited Licensed lottery promoters.
International Promotions/Prize Award Department

We are pleased to announce you as one of the 10 lucky winners in the national =
lottery held on the 18th June, 2007. All 10 winning addresses were randomly =
selected from a batch of 50,000,000 international emails. Your email address =
emerged alongside 9 others as a category 2 winner in this year national lotto =
game draw Consequently, you have therefore been approved for a total pay out =
of 500,000 Pounds (Five Hundred Thousand Pounds only). In order to avoid =
unnecessary delays and complications please remember to quote your reference =
number and batch numbers:

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 500,000 Pounds would be released to you by our payment offices.

To file for your claim, please contact:

Mr Green Haward
Phone Number: +44 70457 15868
Fax Number: +44 845 280 0833
Email: greenhawrd@aim.com

This will enable the officer to send the claims application form (A4) to you =
the Beneficiary.
You can confirm your winnings when you LOGIN TO www.national-lottery.co.uk
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 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. Remember, all winnings must be claimed not later =
than June 30th 2007, after this date, unclaimed funds will be returned to the =
Lotto company.
Good luck from me and members of staff of the national-lottery.co.uk.

Yours faithfully,
Mrs Edit Olds
Online coordinator for lottery
Sweepstakes International Program.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam