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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:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
• 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.
  • mrs_janet_001@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: "JAMES PETER" <drp_j01@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: mrs_janet_001@yahoo.com
Date: Mon, 09 Jan 2006 16:44:48 +0000
Subject: FROM: UNIVERSAL LOTTERY PROMO INTERNATIONAL / HAPPY NEW YEAR,

FROM: UNIVERSAL LOTTERY PROMO INTERNATIONAL
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND.
REF NUMBER: OSL/653/029/04
BATCH NUMBER: AT-040-SB06-04
DEAR SIR/MADAM,

WE ARE PLEASED TO INFORM YOU THAT AS A RESULT OF OUR RECENT LOTTERY DRAWS
HELD ON THE 09th OF jan 2006.
Your e-mail address attached to ticket number 27522465896-531 with serial
number 652-662 drew lucky numbers 7-14-18-23-31-46 which consequently won
in the 2nd category. you have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out
of $2,000,000 (TWO MILLION DOLLARS)
Note that All participants in this lottery program have been selected
randomly through a computer ballot system drawn from over 20,000 companies
and 30,000,000 individual email addresses from all search engines and web
sites.
This promotional program takes place every year, and is promoted and
sponsored by eminent personalities like the Sultan of Brunei, bill gates of
microsoft inc and other corporate organisations. this is to encourage the
use of the internet and computers worldwide.
For security purpose and clarity, we advise that you keep your winning
information confidential until your claims have been processed and your
money remitted to you.
This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claims and
unwarranted abuse of this program by some participants. We look forward to
your activeparticipation in our next year USD50 million slot.
To file for your claim, please contact our fiducially agent
MRS JANET JOHNSON.
E-mail address: mrs_janet_001@yahoo.com
Remember,all winnings must be claimed not later than one month After the
date of this notice.
Please note, in order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications,
remember to quote your reference number and batch numbers in all
correspondence.
Furthermore, should there be any change of address do inform our agent as
soon as possible. Congratulations once more and thank you for being part of
our promotional program.

Fill the claim form:
Your Full name.................................................
Age..............................................................
Sex..................................................................
Reference Number....................................................
Country of origin..................................................
Residential Address................................................
Occupation.......................................................
Position...............................................................
Telephone...........................................................
And Fax Number........................................................

NOTE: YOU ARE AUTOMATICALLY DISQUALIFIED IF YOU ARE BELOW 18 YEARS OF AGE.
Sincerely yours,
MRS PETER JAMES
(LOTTERY CO-ORDINATOR)
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND



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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam