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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 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:
  • "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.
  • +6678100709 (Thailand, probably a mobile phone)
• 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.
  • raybios@myway.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mrs.Marylyn Williams." <marilyn_williams2a@yahoo.co.uk> (may be fake)
Date: Fri, 24 Feb 2006 01:31:01 +0700
Subject: CONGRATULATION YOU HAVE WON THE NATIONAL LOTTERY


DATE-Friday 24th February 2006


THE NATIONAL LOTTERY
AN CRANNCHUR NAISIUNTA
An Post National Lottery Company.
www.lotto.ie

We are pleased to inform you of the resultof The
National Lottery Email Program which has been released.Your
Email address attached to ticket number 5-4-3-2-1-0
with serial number 2113-05 drew the lucky numbers 03
04 08 12 27 36 which consequently won the lottery in
the 1st category.

You have therefore been approved to recieve the sum
of €1,000,000.00 (One Million Euros) in cash credited
to file EAASL/941OYI/02/STXN.
This is from a total cash prize of €50 Million Euros
shared amongst the first fifty (50) lucky winners in
this category.

All participants were selected through a computer
ballot system drawn from 25,000 names and email
addresses from all continent of the world as part of
our international promotions program which we conduct
twice every year

To begin your claim please contact your claims agent:

Mr.RAY BIOS
Claims Agent Asian District
Bangkok Thailand.
Phone: +66-78100709
Email: raybios@myway.com

Your claims agent will assist you in the processing
of the remittance of your prize funds pending on your
choice of payment.

Note that all prize funds must be claimed not later
than One month.After this date all funds will be returned
to the LOTTERY TREASURY as unclaimed. In order to avoid
unnecessary delays and complications,please endeavor to
quote your Reference(TNL/776/05/EGS) and Batch numbers
(02/01/0078) in every correspondence with your agent.

Furthermore,should there be any change in your address, do inform
your claims agent as soon as possible.

Congratulations once again from all members of our
staff and thanks for being part of our promotions program.

Yours faithfully,

Mrs.Marylyn Williams.

Promotions Manager
THE NATIONAL LOTTERY

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam