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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!
  
• How to report 419 spam to us
• 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:
  • ",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)
  • "00,000.00" (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 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.
  • +447035915290 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: "FREE LOTTO Sweepstakes" <claim_freegame001@live.com>
Date: Wed, 02 Jul 2008 03:28:07 +0100
Subject: Dear Lucky Winner!!!

FREE LOTTO Sweepstakes
Ref No: MELI-T/ 17-F044262312
Batch No:901/00319/HLP
Zonal Draw No: GMLA2-003
Grand Draw No: 12099

Dear Lucky Winner!!!

We happily announce to you the draw of the FREE LOTTO
Sweepstakes Intl Inc
programs and You are therefore in our computer balloting
sweepstake held on
June 2008. This is a Millennium Scientific Computer Game in
which email
addresses were used. It is a promotional program aimed at
encouraging internet
users; therefore you do not need to buy ticket to enter for
it You have been
approved to claim a total sum of £1,000,000.00 for lottery
win promotion which
is organized by FREE LOTTO Sweepstakes Intl Inc.

You have won a consolation cash prize of £1,000,000.00
(One Million Great
Britain Pounds Only). The FREE LOTTO Sweepstakes Intl Inc
Group have approved a payout of your consolation cash prize
which will be remunerated directly to you
by the official Payment Agency Board.Our DUE PROCESS UNIT
(DPU) will render to you complete assistance and
provideadditional information and processes for the claims
of your consolation prize.For due processing of your winning
claim, please contact the DPU InformationOfficer Sir Van
Williams who has been assigned to assist you.CLAIMS
PROCESSING LOTTERY AGENT CONTACT INFORMATION Contact
Person:Sir Van

Williams ( winners Directorate Office )
Email:claim_freegame001@live.com
TEL: +44 703 591 5290
1.FULL NAMES:________
2.ADDRESS:__________
3.SEX:______________
4.AGE:________
5.MARITAL STATUS:________
6.OCCUPATION:_____________
7.E-MAIL ADDRESS:_______________
8.TELEPHONE NUMBER:_____________________
9.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF COMPANY/INDIVIDUAL_________
10.AMOUNT WON:_______________
11. COUNTRY__________

Once again congratulations from all our staffs on your
consolation prize
winning, we hope you will partake in our forth coming FREE
LOTTO Sweepstakes
Email-games.
Yours Sincerely,
Dr BRAIN HUNT(PHD)
LOTTO CO-ORDINATOR.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam