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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "fiduciary agent" (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 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.
  • fiduciary_agent2@myway.com

Fraud email example:

From: "Michael Ronin" <britishlottery_infodept@msn.com>
Date: Tue, 04 Oct 2005 19:58:59 +0000
Subject: WINNING NOTIFICATION Ref: BTL/491OXI/04, Batch: 12/25/0304

                                            

 

BRITISH LOTTERY HEADQUARTERS

 

   28 TANFIELD ROAD

   CROYDON, LONDON.

Ref: BTL/491OXI/04
Batch: 12/25/0304

 

WINNING NOTIFICATION

We happily announce to you the draw of the British
Lottery International programs held on the 1st of August
2005 in London.Your e-mail address attached to ticket
number: 564 75600545-188 with Serial number 5388/02
drew the lucky numbers: 31-6-26-13-35-7,which
subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd
category.You are therefore, been approved to claim a
total sum of US$2,500,000.00 (Two million, five hundred 
thousand, United StatesDollars) in cash credited to file
RPC/9080118308/04. This is from a total cash prize of
US $125 Million dollars, shared amongst the first Fifty
(50) lucky winners in this category.

This year Lottery Program Jackpot is the largest ever
for British  Lottery .The estimated $125 million
jackpot would be the sixth-biggest in U.K. history.The
biggest was the $363 million jackpot that went to two
winners in a May 2000 drawing of The Big Game, Mega
Millions' predecessor.

Please note that your lucky winning number falls
within our European booklet representative office in
Europe as indicated in our play coupon. In view of
this, your US$2,500,000.00 (Two million, five hundred
thousand,United States Dollars) would be released to
you by our affiliate bank in London.

Our agent will immediately commence the process to
facilitate the release of your funds to you as soon as
you make contact with him .

All participants were selected randomly from World
Wide Web site  through computer draw system and
extracted from over 100,000 companies.This
promotiontakes place annually. 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 a part of our precautionary
measure to avoid double claiming and unwarranted
abuse of this program by some unscrupulous elements.

Please be warned.To file for
your claim, please contact our fiduciary agent with
the below details for processing of your claims.

AGENT: Geoge Smith

Email: fiduciary_agent2@myway.com

To avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please
quote your  reference/batchnumbers in any
correspondences with us or our designated
agent.Congratulations once more from all members and
staffs of this program.Thank you for being part of our
promotional lottery program.

Sincerely,

Mr Michael Ronin

Online Co-ordinator

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam