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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

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.
  • philmoore2007@yahoo.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: "Greg Edwards" <rainbowlotto1000@msn.com>
Date: Fri, 28 Oct 2005 07:12:41 +0000
Subject: EMAIL WINNING CONFIRMATION NOTICE

AV 5 CASTILLA MADRID SPAIN
FROM:RAINBOW AWARD DEPT.
REF: SUN/2010-968091/03
BATCH: 54/010/IPD
DATE: 28/10/2005
EMAIL WINNING CONFIRMATION NOTICE

We are glad to inform you that your E-mail address appears RAINBOW
E-MAIL LOTTERY PROMOTION as the confirmed Winner of our last RAINBOW email
lottery program held on the 26th October 2005.

Your e-mail address attached to ticket number 20675543256-786 with
Serial number 3765-75 drew lucky numbers 7-12-18-24-32-45, which
Consequently won in the 2nd category, you have therefore been approved For a
lump sum payment of five million five hundred thousand united state dollars
(US$5.5million). CONGRATULATIONS!!!

This promotional program takes place every year. All participants were
selected through a computer ballot system drawn from over 100,000 companies
and 50,000,000 individual email addresses and names from all over the world.

In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications please
remember to quote your reference number and batch numbers in all
correspondence.We ask that you keep your winning information confidential
until your claims has been processed and your money remitted to you.
Remember all winnings must be claimed not later than 14th November 2005.
After this date all unclaimed funds will be included in the next stake.

To file for your claim or for further details, please contact our agent
at philmoore2007@yahoo.co.uk In respect of our commitment towards
helping the less previledge, we ask that you voluntarily contribute 1% of
your Global winnings to any charity organization you desire at your
convinience.Congratulations once more from our members of staff.

Greg Edwards.
Global Winning co-ordinator.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam