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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
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
• How to report 419 spam to us
• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:
  • "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.
  • +447040115568 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: "Johnson Cole" <johnsoncole696@hotmail.com>
Date: Sat, 11 Feb 2006 03:44:34 -0600
Subject: Procedure

DEAR WINNER,

WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE RECEIPT OF YOUR MAIL, AS REGARDS CLAIMING YOUR WINNING
PRIZE. WITH REFERENCE NUMBER: FFL/7581206303/05 UK.BE INFORMED THAT WE HAVE
IN OUR POSSESSION INSTRUMENTS OF PAYMENT FOR THE SUM OF $1,200,000.00 UNITED
STATES DOLLARS (ONE MILLION TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO YOU.

PLEASE FIND AND FILL WHERE APPLICABLE FOR VERIFICATION THE ATTACHED CLAIMS
APPLICATION FORM, WHICH YOU ARE TO FILL AND SEND BACK TO US THROUGH THE SAME
MEDIUM, EITHER THROUGH MAIL AS AN ATTACHMENT TO ME, OR THROUGH MY DIRECT FAX
NUMBER.

A SWIFT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE RECEIPT OF THIS MAIL WILL BE APPRECIATED.FOR
FURTHER CLARIFICATION, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CALL ME.

CONGRATULATIONS ONCE AGAIN!!

TRULY YOURS,

Johnson Cole
TEL: +447040115568
FAX: +447075707715


NOTICE:

Capitol Express Financial Agencies is authorized and regulated by the
fiduciary agent. This transmission is strictly confidential and may be
legally privileged. It is solely for the addressee.
Access to this message by any other person is prohibited. If you are not the
intended recipient, any disclosure, copying, distribution or any action
taken or omitted to be taken in reliance on it is prohibited and may be
unlawful. Please immediately contact the sender should this message has been
incorrectly transmitted. We reserve the right to take legal proceedings
against anybody who makes improper copies or use of this transmission.

Thank you for your attention and co-operation

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam