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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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• 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:
  • "from: the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "claims office" (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 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.
  • contact_swisslottery_claimsagent@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: MR GRAHAM TUNNER &&#3540LOTTERY CO <contact_swisslottery_claimsagent@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2007 13:40:03 +0200
Subject: Award Notification!!!


FROM: THE DESK OF THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER, INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT SWISS ONLINE LOTTERY INTERNATIONAL 60 MERRIMAN ROAD BLACKHEATH LONDON SE3 8RZ ENGLAND REF NO: SL/74/368/05 BATCH NO:SL-121-LT-11-12-05

DEAR WINNER,
WE ARE PLEASED TO INFORM YOU THAT AS A RESULT OF OUR RECENT DRAWS HELD in August 20TH 2007.Your e-mail address attached to ticket number 27427465896-582 with serial number 772-662 drew lucky numbers 3-14-18-28-31-40 which consequently won in the 2nd category.You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of £1,000 000 (ONE MILLION POUNDS ) Note that All participants in this lottery program have been selected randomly through a computer ballot system drawn from over 20,000 companies and 30,000,000 individual email addresses from all search engines and web sites.

This promotional program takes place every year,and is promoted and sponsored by eminent personalities like the Sultan of Brunei, bill gates of Microsoft inc and other corporate organizations. this is to encourage the use of the internet and computers worldwide For security purpose and clarity, we advise that you keepyour winning information confidential until your claims have been processed and your money remitted to you.This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claims and unwarranted abuse of this program by some participants. We look forward to your active participation in our next year US D50 million slot.

To file for your claim,please contact our fiducially agent claims officer via email as soon as possible for the immediate release of your winnings:

MR ALLEN SCOFIELD
E-mailaddress: contact_swisslottery_claimsagent@yahoo.co.uk

Note in order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications,Do fill out the claims form to Mr. Allen Scofield in other to process the claims of your prize without delay.

1.Full Name:
2.Full Address:
3.Marital Status:
4.Occupation:
5.Age:
6.Sex:
7.Nationality:
8.Country Of Residence:
9.Telephone Number:

Further more, should there be any change of address do inform our agent as soon as possible.
Congratulations once again

NOTE: YOU ARE AUTOMATICALLY DISQUALIFIED IF YOU ARE BELOW 18 YEARS OF AGE.

Sincerely yours,
MR GRAHAM TUNNER (LOTTERY COORDINATOR) l

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam