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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:
  • "cashier's check" (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
• 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.
  • eurolotterynews6@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Mr Gordon Sparks <eurolotterynews5@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2007 11:34:43 +0300
Subject: **EMAIL ID AWARD**


Dear Winner,


The Local Organizing Committee of the European Champions League is glad
to announce to the world the giving away of the sum of FIFTY MILLION
POUNDS to 100 lucky email addresses all over the world. This promotion
is in Appreciation of our International Support for the past Soccer
Events and the correspondent earnings at the stock market which was far
beyond our projected quarterly earnings.


Be informed that all winners in this program have been selected
randomly through a computer ballot system drawn from over 1,500,000
companies and individual e-mail addresses database. Your email address happened
to be one of the lucky winners of FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND POUNDS among
the Hundred email addresses chosen. In other to claim your prize, you will
have to fill the form below and send it back to us for verification
and then you will be informed on how your Cashier's Check for the sum
which has already been deposited with your email contact.


We use this opportunity to thank all our Sponsors/Contributors of this
program.


*NAME:
*AGE:
*SEX:
*ADDRESS:
*EMAIL:
*TEL.:
*OCCUPATION:
*COUNTRY:
*A COPY OF ANY FORM OF YOUR IDENTITY:


Please you are advised to complete the form and send back to us for
prompt collection. You are automatically disqualified if you are below
18 years of age. This E-mail message (including attachments, if any) is
intended for the use of the individual or entity to which it is
addressed and may contain Information that is privileged, proprietary and
confidential and exempted from disclosure.


If you are not the intended recipient, you are notified that any
dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is
strictly prohibited. Please Note that all response should be sent to:
eurolotterynews6@yahoo.com


Sincerely,
Gordon Spark.
Email: eurolotterynews6@yahoo.com

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam