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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:
  • "claims 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.
  • +447031907928 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: "Euro Millions" <euro_millionsinternational@msn.com>
Date: Sat, 08 Oct 2005 19:28:35 +0000
Subject: YOU EMERGED A EURO MILLIONS WINNER CONTACT FOR CLAIMS


The National Lottery
P O Box 1010
Liverpool, L70 1NL
UNITED KINGDOM
(Customer Services)
Date: SEPTEMBER 30, 2005
WINNING NOTIFICATION:

Ref: UK/4920X2/68
Batch: 084/05/ZY360



Dear Winner,

We happily announce to you the draw (#965) of the EURO MILLIONS
LOTTERY,online Sweepstakes International program held 29th SEPTEMBER 2005.

Your e-mail address attached to ticket number: 56475600545 189 with Serial
number 5368/05 drew the lucky numbers: 05 21 23 28 40 48 26 Bonus Ball
which subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd category i.e. 29th
SEPTEMBER plus bonus.

You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of £ 7,000,000 (Seven
million pounds sterlings) in cash credited to file KTU/0023118308/05.

This is from a total cash prize of £77,000,000 shared amongst Eleven (11)
lucky winners in this category i.e. SEPTEMBER 29 plus bonus.

All participants for the online version were selected randomly from World
Wide Web sites through computer draw system and extracted from over
100,000unions,associations, and corporate bodies that are listed online.
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 £7,000,000 (Seven million pounds starlings) 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 your claim 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 our claims agent:


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.

You can call him between the hours of 8.00am - 7.00pm
on Monday through Friday or send email via:info_claimunit@uk2.net.

Overseas Claims Unit
United Kingdom Lottery Fiduciary
Mr.PHILLIP MORGAN
Email: info_claimunit@uk2.net
Telephone:+447031907928
Telephone:+447031916718

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.

Good luck from me and members of staff of the EURO MILLIONS LOTTERY.

Yours faithfully,

NAME:MRS STACEY WRIGHT
Online coordinator for EURO MILLIONS
LOTTERY,
Sweepstakes International Program.
Open 7 days 8am-8pm

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam