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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:
  • "claim 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 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.
  • +447040104120 (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.
  • paulvan3@myway.com

Fraud email example:

From: "uk lotto" <uk_lotto101@msn.com>
Date: Wed, 05 Oct 2005 01:40:19 +0000
Subject: WINNING NOTIFICATION

The National Lottery
EURO MILLIONS PROMO/PRIZE:DEPARMENT
Blanchardstown Corporate Park 2,
Blanchardstown, Dublin 15
Ireland.
(Customer Services)
Ref: UK/9420X2/68
Batch: 074/05/ZY369
Fax: 44 (0)87-1239-1035
FINAL :
Dear Lucky Winner,
RE: BONUS LOTTERY PROMOTION PRIZE AWARDS WINNING NOTIFICATION
We are pleased to notify you the draw of the EURO MILLIONS
PROMO/PRIZE:DEPARMENT Online Sweepstakes International Lottery Program
held
on Friday june 3 2005.Participants were selected through a computer
ballot
system drawn from a pool of over 25,000 names of distinguished
professionals drawn from Europe, America, Asia, Australia, New Zealand,
Middle-East, parts of Africa, and North & South America as part of our
international promotions programme conducted annually to encourage
prospective overseas entries.We hope with part of your prize awards,
you
will take part in our subsequent lottery jackpots.

The result of our computer draw selected your name and email address
attached to e-ticket number: 56475600545 188 with Serial number 5368/02
drew
the lucky numbers: 03,09,35,39,42,with luckystars (01),(08), which
subsequently won you the lottery inthe 2nd
category i.e.5+1 star Category.You have therefore been approved to
claim a
total sum of €1,737,262 (One million, Seven hundred and thirty seven
thousand, Two hundredand sixty two euro) in file KTU/9023118308/03.This
is
from a total cash prize shared amongst
the first Six (6) lucky winners in this category i.e.5+1 star
Category.Your
prize award has been insured in your name and is ready for claims.
To begin your claims therefore, you are advised to expeditiously
contact
our licensed and accredited claim agent for Overseas Lottery Winners
within
a period of 21 days (date of this email inclusive) for the processing
of
your winning and remittance to your designated bank account after all
statutory obligations have been satisfactorily dispensed with.

This promotion takes place weekly. 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 €1,737,262 (One million, Seven hundred and
thirty
seven thousand, Two hundred and sixty two euro) would be released to
you by
any of our payment offices in Europe.Please be informed that claims not
processed within the stipulated period may
be forfeited to the pool without further notice.

Our European agent will immediately commence the process to facilitate
the
release of your funds as soon as you contact him. You may wish to
establish
contact via e-mail with the particulars presented below citing the
batch
and reference numbers to this letter between the hours of 8.00am -
7.30pm on
Monday through Friday.
Overseas Claims Unit
United Kingdom Lottery Fiduciary
Contact Person: Mr.Paul Vanfrant.
Email: paulvan3@myway.com
Phone: +44-70-4010-4120
Our winners are assured of the utmost standards of confidentiality, and
press anonymity until the end of proceedings, and beyond where they so
desire. Be further advised to maintain the strictest level of
confidentiality until the end of proceedings to circumvent problems
associated with fraudulent claims. This is part of our precautionary
measure
to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
At your disposal, we remain.
Very Truly Yours,
Mrs.Mildred Hugo

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam