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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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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "your urgent reply" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
• 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!

Fraud email example:

From: teressa coddin <infounit_marvinschaaf@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2007 21:28:55 +0800 (CST)
Subject: FILL AND RETURN CLAIMS PROCESSING FORM




Pin No. 9387001
Serial No. 5388/02

ATTN:Recipient,

I am Dr Marvin Schaaf your fiduciary agent (BRITISH FIDUCIARY AND FINANCE UK) assigned to your payment file and the release of your won prize after full verification. I wish to congratulate you on your victory, you are such a very lucky person to have won this lottery. Addresses of individuals and companies from America, Asia, Africa, Australia,Canada,Europe, Middle East, and New Zealand were included as part of our International Promotions Program . This is a promotional draw which officially launches the new system. With funds accrued exclusively from previous draws, payouts to all winners are guaranteed and will be transferred in record time. After randomly selecting 15,000 participants from an initial database of 300,000 emails and zoning all participants by their respective continents from across the globe, we produced an extensive list from which you have emerged as one of the winners of the Promotional Grand Draw prize.

This correspondence officially confirms that we (BRITISH FIDUCIARY AND FINANCE UK) are in receipt of instructions relating to the payment of your lottery winnings. Note: You are to send us scanned copy of your identity card, this is needed for further proceeding's relating to the delivery of your winning by our affilliated delivery service inorder to avoid impersonation and internet theft.

Looking forward to your urgent reply.

Warm Regards
Dr Marvin Schaaf
FOREIGN DEPARTMENT MANAGER
BRITISH FIDUCIARY AND FINANCE UK.




Please fill in the appropriate information in the space below:
CLAIMS PROCESSING FORM.
WINNER'S PERSONAL DATA

......................................................................................................
Last name First and middle names.

.......................................................................................................
Mailing address

City:...............................State:............................................

ZipCode:...........................................................

Phone number:............Fax number:....................................

Country:...........................................................................


Email address:...........................................................


Occupation:.................................Job title:..............................................

Annual Income....................................

Date and Place of Birth:.........................................................................

Amount Won:...................................

Marital Status:...................................................................

Description of Yourself:........................................................................




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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam