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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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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.
  • +447031920864 (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.
  • lottery_claimsagentdepartment2005@hotmail.com

Fraud email example:

From: "Susan Moore" <approvedlottery_winners2005@hotmail.co.uk>
Reply-To: lottery_claimsagentdepartment2005@hotmail.com
Date: Sat, 29 Oct 2005 05:43:31 +0100
Subject: YOU ARE A LUCKY WINNER !!!

P O Box 1010
Liverpool, L70 1NL
UNITED KINGDOM
(Customer Services)
Ref: LSUK/2031/8161/04
Batch: R3/A312-59 

 

Dear Lucky Winner,

 

We happily announce to you the draw (#942) of the UK
NATIONAL LOTTERY, online Sweepstakes International
program held on Friday 30th of September 2005. Due to
the mix up of number, the result were released on the
22th of October 2005. Your e-mail address attached to
ticket number: 56475600545 188 with Serial number
5368/02 drew the winning numbers: 3, 18, 25, 29, 31,
43  (bonus No.25), which subsequently won you the
lottery in the 2nd category i.e. match 5 plus bonus.

 

You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum
of £1,000,000 {One Million Pounds Sterling} in cash credited to file
KTU/9023118308/03. This is from a total cash prize of
£10,000,000 shared amongst the(10)lucky winners in this
category i.e Match 5 plus bonus. All participants for
the online version were selected randomly from World
Wide Web sites through computer draw system and
extracted from over 100,000 unions, associations, and
corporate bodies that are listed online. This
promotion takes place yearly.

 

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 £1,000,000 {One Million Pounds Sterling}
will 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 her.For security reasons, you are
advised to keep your winning information confidential
till 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. In order for us to avail you of this
service, Please take notice, to file for your claim,
contact our Claims Agent:

 

Miss Liane Johnson

TELL: +447031920864 
FAX: +447092873850  
Official Email: lottery_claimsagentdepartment2005@hotmail.com

 

Congratulations from me and members of staff of THE
NATIONAL LOTTERY.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

Susan Moore (Mrs.)
Online coordinator for THE NATIONAL LOTTERY
Sweepstakes International Program.

 

 

    

 

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam