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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
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
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• 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:
  • "from: the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
• 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.
  • +447045731632 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
  • +448704785254 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: British Lottery 2007 <ukbrto04@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <britishlotteryclaimsagent7@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 13:49:06 +0000
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!


FROM: THE DESK OF THE DIRECTOR PROMOTIONS,INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT,REF NO: BTL/4910X1/07
Dear Winner,
We happily announce to you the Draw (#679) of the UK E-mail NATIONALLOTTERY held on the 25th september,2007.Your E-mail Address attached toTicket Number :564-75600545-188, was picked at random from our computersystem.Agent ID Number: 110 won you a total sum of £238,617.00(Two hundred and thirty Eight thousand Six hundred & Seventeen pounds sterling)
Contact Mr.Victor JohnsonClaims and Release Order DepartmentEmail:britishlotteryclaimsagent7@yahoo.co.ukTEL:+44-704 573 1632TEL:+44-703 590 0353FAX:+44-870 478 5254LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
Once again on behalf of all our staff, CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Truly Yours,Richard Lloyds.Lottery Co-OrdinatorCopyright © 1995-2007 BRITISH LOTTERY.
_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam