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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:

• 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!

Fraud email example:

From: "Brian Hunt" <info@britishgamings.net>
Date: Wed, 01 Feb 2006 17:09:37 +0000
Subject: yes,<do ell to fill the attached form.>

 The National Lottery
 P O Box 1010
Liverpool, L70 1NL UNITED KINGDOM
 Date:27-01-2006.
(Customer Services)
 Ref: UK/9420X2/68
 Batch: 074/05/ZY369

                                 WINNING NOTIFICATION:

We happily announce to you the draw (#963) of the UK NATIONAL
 LOTTERY,online Sweepstakes International programme held on Monday
January 23th,2006.This Draw is part of our New Year Bonus to
 all internet users World Wide.

Your e-mail address attached to ticket number:56475600545 188 with
Serial number 5368/02 drew the lucky numbers: 14-18-29-33-37-39-47(bonus
 no.), which subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd category i.ematch 5
 plus bonus.

 You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of £516,778.00(Five
hundred and Sixteen thousand,seven hundred and seventy eight pounds sterling
only) /$921,201(Nine hundred and twenty one thousand two hundred and one
dollars only)in cash/check credited to file KTU/9023118308/03.

 This is from a total cash prize of £3,100,673.00 shared amongst the first
 six (6) lucky winners in this category i.e Prize for six balls.

All participants for the online version were selected randomly from a
World Wide Web sites through a computer draw system and extracted from
 over 100,000 unions, associations, and corporate bodies that are listed
 online. This promotion takes place Periodically.

 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 £516,778 (Five hundred and Sixteen
 thousand,seven hundred and seventy eight pounds sterling)  would 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 contact 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
abuse of this program. Please be warned.
> >
> > To file for your claim, please kindly fill out the claims form below
> > and send to our fiduciary agent with the contact below. :
> >
> > Mr.WALTER ATKINSON
> > Email:info@britishgamings.net
> >
> > 1. FULL
> > NAMES:____________________________________________
> >
> > 2. DATE OF
> > BIRTH:_________________________________________________
> >
> > 3. SEX:___________________________
> >
> > 4. MARITAL
> > STATUS:_____________________________________
> >
> > 5.CONTACT ADDRESS:____________________________________
> >
> > 6.TELEPHONE
> > NUMBER:________________________________________
> >
> > 7.OCCUPATION:________________________________________________
> >
> > 8.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF
> > COMPANY/INDIVIDUAL:_/_________________________________________
> >
> > Upon receipt of the duly requested datas,he shall send to you
> > the contact information of the paying Office so you can proceed
> > with effecting the release of your funds.
> >
> > Kindly Fill the form above and send to our fiduciary agent with
> > the contact below,
> >
> > Mr.WALTER ATKINSON
> > Email:info@britishgamings.net
> >
> > Goodluck from me and members of staff of the UK NATIONAL LOTTERY.
> > Yours faithfully,
> >
> > Robert Bruce
> > Online coordinator
> > UK NATIONAL LOTTERY,
> > Sweepstakes International Program.
> > Open 7 days 8am-8pm.
> >
> >
> >

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam