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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
• "Is that email a scam?" - Check it online here!
  
• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• 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")
  • "million british pounds" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
• 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.
  • +447040104380 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: "peak promo" <peakpromo01@msn.com>
Reply-To: peakpromo270@teenmail.co.za
Date: Tue, 27 Dec 2005 06:00:30 +0000
Subject: giving you notice

THE PEAK PROMOTIONS LOTTO COMPANY
UK HEAD OFFICE
54 CANARY WHARF
LONDON. EC1 4BU
ENGLAND



Dear Winner,

We are please to announce you as one of the 10 lucky
winners in the Peak Promotions Lotto draw held on the 26th
of dec 2005,selected from a batch of 50,000,000
international
emails.Your email address emerged alongside 9 others as a
category 2 winner in this year's Annual Peak Promotion
Lotto Draw.

Consequently,you have therefore been approved for a total
pay out of £4,000,000 pounds (Four million British pounds)
only.The
following particulars are attached to your lotto payment
order:

(i) winning numbers: 37-13-43-85-67-11
(ii) email ticket number: PPL754/22/76
(iii) lotto code number: PPL09622UK
(iv) the file Ref number: PPL/04/736207152/UK

Please contact the underlisted claims Agent as soon as
possible for the immediate release of your winnings:

Mr.Frank Bower
Payment Agent
The Peak Promotion Lotto Company
TEL:+ 44 7040104380

EMAIL:promoagent01@o2.pl
N.B:Steps to claiming your prize;
1.Please quote your Reference number in all correspondence
with the claims officer.
2.Winners should send to claim officer account detail or
address where they want their prize paid or sent.
3.Winners must send thier names,address,telephone number
and means of identification (international passport or
drivers licence)to claim officer to process immediate
payment of their prize.

Once again on behalf of all our staff,
CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Sincerely,
Frank Bower
Promotions Manager
Peak Promotion Lotto company
UK & Europe.

-------------------------------------------------

The Peak Promotions Lotto Awards is proudly sponsored by
the Microsoft Corporation,the Intel Group,Toshiba, Dell
computers,Mckintosh and a conglomeration of other
international IT companies.The peak promotions Lotto
internet draw is held once in a year and is so organized to
encourage the use of the internet and computers
worldwide.We are proud to say that over 200 Million Euros
are won annually in more than 150 countries worldwide.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam