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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:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "claims office" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
• 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.
  • +447031912267 (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.
  • larryhills_desk1@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: infodesk@mplotto.org
Reply-To: larryhills_desk1@hotmail.com
Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2007 16:46:00 -1100
Subject: FREE AWARD NOTICE!!!

FREE AWARD DEPT.
24 Broad Street,
Woolich, Middle Essex
L70 1NL.LONDON
UNITED KINGDOM

Ref: UK/9420X2/68
Batch: 074/05/ZY369

WINNING NOTIFICATION

We happily announce to you the draw (#1081) of the FREE LOTTO AWARDS,
online Sweepstakes International program held on
Tue. 27th November 2007. Your e-mail address attached to ticket number:
56475600545 005 with Serial number 5368/13 drew
the lucky numbers: 09-11-22-39-40-42(bonus no.12), which subsequently
won you the lottery in the 2nd category i.e. match
5 plus bonus. You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of
£119,118 (One hundred and nineteen thousand -
one hundred and eighteen pounds sterling) in cash credited to file
KTU/9023118308/03.This is from a total cash prize
of £833, 826 shared amongst the (7) lucky winners in this category
i.e. Match 5 plus bonus.

All participants for the online version were selected randomly from
World Wide Web sites through computer draw system
and extracted from over 100,000 unions, associations , and corporate
bodies that are listed online.

This promotion takes place weekly (wed and sat). Please note that your
lucky winning number falls within our European
booklet representative office in Europe as indicated in your play
coupon. In view of this, your £119,118 (One hundred
and nineteen thousand - one hundred and eighteen pounds sterling) would
be released to you by any of our payment offices
in Europe . Our European agent will immediately commence the process to
facilitate the release of your funds as soon as
you contact him.

For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information
confidential till your claims is processed and
your money remitted to you in whatever manner you deem fit to claim
your prize. This is part of our precautionary
measure to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program.
Please be warned. To file for your claim, please
contact your fiduciary agent with the details below:

Fiduciary Agent: Dr. Larry Hills.
Email: larryhills_desk1@hotmail.com
Tel: +447031912267
FREE LOTTO AWARDS SERVICE OFFICER.


*IMPORTANT* FILL OUT THIS WINNERS VERIFICATION FORM BELOW:

Your application for the claim of lottery winning prize will be duly
processed and settlement made upon certification.

Hence, carefully fill in the appropriate information in the space
provided below for record purposes to facilitate our
immediate commencement of your claims process. The completed form
should be sent to your claims agent for immediate
commencement of prize remittance.


*Name of Beneficiary:
*Address:
*City/State:
*Nationality:
*Sex:
*Email Address:
*Tel:
*Occupation:
*Next of Kin:
*Age:
*AMOUNT WON:
*In Figures:
*In Words:
*Lucky Nos:
*Ticket No:

Note: You are to contact your fiduciary agent immediately and provide
him with the needed details so that he can help
you in processing the release of your winnings to you as soon as
possible.

Congratulations from the staff and thank you for being part of email
account users program.

Sincerely,
Mr. Walter Fribs.
Online Coordinators.
FREE LOTTO AWARDS BOARD.

NOTE: Any bridge of confidentiality on the part of the Winners will
result to disqualification. Do not reply this mail.
You are to contact your claims officer immediately. In order to avoid
unnecessary delays and complications, please
remember to quote your reference number in every one of your
correspondences.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam