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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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• 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:
  • "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.
  • euromillioncomfirmation_dpt@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: dselledge@comcast.net
Date: Fri, 03 Mar 2006 08:23:06 +0000
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS!!! YOU HAVE WON THE LIVERPOOL LOTTERY

NATIONAL LIVERPOOL LOTTERY(UK)
23, Amenda Lloyds Road,
Liverwood City SC5T8L,
United Kingdom.

Dear Sir/Madam,

Congratulations!!! To mark the celebration of the yuletide season,the
Board of Directors and Management of LIVERPOOL City recently organised
a periodical lottery program via random selection of personal electronic
mail from the Continental World Directory to favour America/Canada,
Europe,Asia and USSR Countries of the world. In accordance to this
regard, if you are in receipt of this e-mail, you are automatically a
winner of the recent draw held on 28th Febuary, 2006.

You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of £1,500,000.00
( One Million Five Hundred Thousand United Kingdom Pounds), in cash
credited to file KTU/9023118308/05 which tally with Ticket number:
219-810-97/A and Serial Number: 98/L23/001X. To receive you claims, please
firstly request for a Verification Form from the Online Computer Director
with details of you ticket and serial numbers in accordance to the City
States Law on Lottery Programmes of 1978.

Kindly Contact:
Mr. Stephen P. Bill
Email: euromillioncomfirmation_dpt@yahoo.co.uk


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam