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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:

• 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:
  • "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "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.
  • +447031871886 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
• 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.
  • linktsmith@aim.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "lotterygame" <lotterygame@netscape.ca>
Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2006 06:13:55 -0800
Subject: YOU HAVE WON !!!

THE UNITED KINGDOM LOTTERY GAMES.


BATCH: 31/576809/UKPPD
REF NO: UK/23457677/2006.

ATTENTION: Dear Winner

RE/ AWARD NOTIFICATION

We wish to inform you of the lottery draws held on 11th of
March, 2006 to declare the winners of the UNITED KINGDOM
LOTTERY/INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS. You are attached to ticket
number 356-00098-3211-222, with serial number 818-09 drew
the lucky numbers 67-99-777963, and consequently won the
lottery.

You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of
GBP1,400,000.00 in cash credited to file REF NO:
UK/23457677/2006. This is from total prize money of
GBP21,620,000.00 shared among the seventeen international
winners in this category. All participants were selected
through a computer ballot system drawn from 17,000 names
worldwide.

CONGRATULATIONS!
Your fund is now available for claim. However due to the mix
up of some numbers and names, we ask that you keep this
award strictly from public notice until your claim has been
processed and your money remitted to your account. This is
part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming or
unscrupulous acts by participants of this promotion. We hope
with a part of your prize, you will participate in our mid
year high stakes GBP100, 000,000 Million International
Lottery.

TO BEGIN YOUR CLAIM, PLEASE CONTACT OUR FIDUCIARY CLAIM
AGENT WITH YOUR FULL DETAILS i.e YOUR FULL NAMES, YOUR
TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBERS AS WELL AS YOUR CONTACT ADDRESS,
THROUGH THIS EMAIL ADDRESS BELOW;

Thomas Smith
FIDUCIARY CLAIMS AGENT
WOODS FINANCIAL SERVICES LTD
ASHFORD HOUSE
BEAUFORT COURT
SIR THOMAS LONGLEY ROAD
SITTINGBOURNE
KENT ME2 4FA
UNITED KINGDOM
TEL: +44 703 187 1886
E MAIL: linktsmith@aim.com

For due processing and remittance of your prize money to a
designated account of your choice. Remember, all prize money
must be claimed not later than Two Weeks after notice. After
this date, all funds will be returned as unclaimed.

NOTE: In order to avoid unnecessary delays and
complications, please remember to quote your reference and
batch numbers in every one of your correspondences with your
agent. Furthermore, should there be any change of your
address, do inform your claims agent as soon as possible.

Congratulations again from all our staff and thank you for
being part of our promotions program.

Sincerely,

Gina Allenburg.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam