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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.

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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "high insurance policy" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. )
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • ",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.
  • +447045705586 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
  • +447005938654 (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.
  • agent.rhamilton07@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: SWISS EMAIL LOTTERY <swiss_lott113@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <agent_rich_hamilton7@yahoo.es>
Date: Sun, 8 Jul 2007 12:24:07 -0400
Subject: EMAIL LOTTERY!!!


SWISSLOS, Interkantonale LandeslotterieLange Gasse 20, Postfach 4002 Basel Switzerland . Batch Number: 074/05/zy369/SL/2007Ref Number: UK/9420X2/68 Dear Sir/Madam, This is to inform you of the release of the SWISS EMAIL LOTTERY on the8th of July 2007 you have therefore been approved for a lump sumpayout of £2,000,000.00 Only ( TWO MILLION GREAT BRITISH POUNDS ONLY)with Lucky Number "1, 2, 15,16,19,32, 25" in cash which is depositedwith a Finance & Security Company in your favor as beneficiary and covered with HIGH INSURANCE POLICY. Due to the mix up of some numbers and names, we ask that you keep yourwinning information confidential until your claim has been processedand your money remitted to you.
This online cyber lotto draws was conducted from an exclusive list of55,000 e-mail addresses of individual and corporate bodies picked byan advanced automated random computer search from the internet and notickets were sold. After this automated computer ballot, you emergedas one of three winners in the category "C" To begin the claims processing of your prize winnings you are advisedto contact our licensed and accredited claims agent in (ManchesterEngland) with the information below: Dr. Richard HamiltonE-mail: agent.rhamilton07@yahoo.co.uk Tel: +44 704-570-5586Fax: +44-700-593-8654 Note that all winning must be claimed not later than the 30th of June2007. After this date all unclaimed funds will be included in the nextstake. Also note that in order to avoid unnecessary delays andcomplications please remember to quote your reference number and batchnumber in all correspondence. Furthermore, should there be any changeof address do inform our agent as soon as possible. Once again congratulations!!! Best Regards, Willy MesmerSr. Mgr. Games
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam