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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• 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.
  • robertsclaimsdept74@yahoo.com.hk

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: robertsclaimsdept74@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Mon, 10 Nov 2008 11:59:10 GMT
Subject: NOTIFICATION




British National Lottery,
28 Tan Field Road,
Croydon,
London.

Dear Winner,
We are pleased to inform you of the final
announcement of the British National Lottery Online Promo Programme
held on the 10th Novermber 2008.You have therefore been
approved to claim a total sum of 850,000.00.(Eight Hundred And Fifty Thousand Great British Pounds)
Name/Age/Sex/Occupation/Address/Phone No/Country
Please contact Mr.Charles Roberts.
Email:robertsclaimsdept74@yahoo.com.hk

Yours Truly,
Sir Steven Smith
Co-ordinator (Online Promo Programme)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam