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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:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "fiduciary 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.
  • +447040119586 (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.
  • jeffbrown_wto@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "National Lotto" <lotto_70@msn.com>
Reply-To: jeffbrown_wto2005@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2006 08:48:49 +0000
Subject: WINNING NOTIFICATION

UKONLINE NOTIFICATION DESK.


The National Lottery
P O Box 1010
Liverpool, L70 1NL
UNITED KINGDOM
(Customer Services)
Ref: UK/9520X2/60
Batch: 084/05/ZY359


FINAL WINNING NOTIFICATION:
We happily announce to you the draw (#787) of the UK NATIONAL LOTTERY,
online Sweepstakes International program held on tuesday 17th of
january, 2006. It is yet to be unclaimed and you are getting the final
NOTIFICATION as regards this.
Your e-mail address was attached to the ticket number: 56075690545 178
with Serial number 5668/65 drew the lucky numbers: 5-8-11-13-18-40 (bonus
no.39), which subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd category i.e
match 10 plus bonus.
You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of £4,000,000
(Four Million Pounds sterling) in cash credited to file KTU/9023128308/05.
This is from a total cash prize of £950,750 shared amongst the (8) lucky
winners in this category i.e Match 10 plus bonus. All participants for the
online version were selected randomly from World Wide Web sites through
computer draw system and extracted from over 150,000 unions, 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 £4,000,000 (Four 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 contacted him. 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.
To File For Your Claim, Please Contact Our Fiduciary Agent:
Name: Mr.Jeff Brown
Official Email:jeffbrown_wto@yahoo.co.uk
Tel: +44 7040119586


Endeavour to email swiftly regarding your winnings immediately.
Congratulations from me and members of the staff of THE UK NATIONAL
LOTTERY.
Mr.mark ben
Controller
GeoTrust SSL Reseller

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam