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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!
  
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• 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:
  • "a security company " (this will cost you money - that's what the scam is about)
  • "claim 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: Lottery Correo Agent <lotterycorreoagent2005@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 13 Sep 2005 01:43:04 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Congratulation


FROM: THE DIRECTOR,
PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT.
REF: SFLP/154768325/WIN/04
BATCH: 2824/MD/2825.
DATE: 13TH SEPTEMBER 2005.

PRIZE AWARD NOTIFICATION.
We are pleased to inform you of the released results of the Turkish Lottery Promotion Programme held on the 1st of Janaury 2005 All participants were drawn from a computer ballot system from over 38,000 names all over the world from the internet. This is a part of our international promotion programme which holds twice a year resulting from previously won but unclaimed lottery funds. Your E-mail address attached to ticket number:
LOT/5869/KFC/649 with serial number: 8693472/MD drew one of the lucky numbers which subsequently won in the second category. You have therefore been approved for the lump sum of 815,810,00. Euros (Eight Hundred and Fifteen Thousand, Eight hundred and Ten Euros,). This is your prize award from the lump sum of 38,489,000.05. Euros (Thirty Eight million, Four hundred and Eighty-nine thousand, Five cents.) which was shared among the 48 lucky international winners in this category. Your prize money is now deposited with a security company and insured in your Serial number: 8693472/md .
This security finance company is responsible for the processing and remittance of your prize Award to the designated Bank account of your choice. As a matter of security and protocol, we advise that you keep all information and documents relating to your prize award very secret and work very closely with your claim agent until your prize has been fully processed and all cash money paid into your Bank account of your choice. Note that all prize money must be claimed not later than Three weeks from the date of notification. After this period, all funds will be sent to the Turkish Ministry of Economy and Finance as unclaimed. This will result in unnecessary complications and possible loss of prize awards.
Furthermore, it is very important that you quote your Reference and Batch numbers in all your correspondence with us and your claim agents. If you have any problems with your claim agent or should you change your E-mail address, please inform us immediately for necessary action.

Congratulations once again on behalf of the Lottery Board.
Madam Cigdem Hakan

LOTTERY CORREO AGENT,
TURKALI MAH MECITALI SOK - 85C,20089,
ISTANBUL TURKEY.






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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam