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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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• 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 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)
  • "i have a new email address!" (this SPAM email was sent to thousands of people)
• 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.
  • +447040111508 (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.
  • lottery_award_04@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: lottery award <lottery_award_04@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: mark_benson_1@yahoo.it
Date: Fri, 24 Mar 2006 17:09:08 -0800 (PST)
Subject: FROM MARK BENSON,


I have a new email address!You can now email me at: lottery_award_04@yahoo.com

THE NATIONAL LOTTERY.

LIVERPOOL, L70 1NL,UNITED KINGDOM.

REF: UK/9420X2/68

BATCH: 074/05/ZY369,


DEAR SIR/MADAM,


THE UNITED KINGDOM NOTIFICATION LOTTERY AWARD WINNING, FOCUS ON HEALTH, EDUCATION, CULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, INSTITUTION BUILDING AND THE PROMOTION OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. IT IS DEDICATED TO IMPROVING LIVING

CONDITIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE POOR, WITHOUT REGARD TO THEIR FAITH, ORIGIN OR GENDER.


WE ARE PLEASED TO INFORM YOU OF THE AN NOUN CEMENT TODAY, OF WINNERS OF THE PROMOTIONAL, THE UNITED KINGDOM NOTIFICATION LOTTERY AWARD WINNING, HELD ON 30TH/1/ 2006 AS PART OF OUR YEARLY BONANZA. YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS ATTACHED TO TICKET NUMBER 025-1146-1992-750, WITH SERIAL NUMBER 2113-05 DREW THE LUCKY NUMBERS 13-15-22-37-39-43,


CONSEQUENTLY WON THE LOTTERY IN THE 3RD CATEGORY. YOU HAVE THEREFORE BEEN APPROVED FOR A LUMP SUM PAY OUT OF £1,200,000.00 POUND STERLING ONLY (ONE MILLION, TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND POUND STERLING ONLY) IN CASH CREDITED TO FILE REF NO.UK/9420X2/68 THIS IS FROM TOTAL PRIZE MONEY OF £20,400,000.00 POUND STERLING ONLY. SHARED AMONG THE SEVENTEEN INTERNATIONAL WINNERS IN THIS CATEGORY.


ALL PARTICIPANTS WERE SELECTED THROUGH A COMPUTER BALLOT SYSTEM DRAWN FROM 25,000 NAMES FROM THE MIDDLE EAST, ASIA, AFRICA, CANADA, EUROPE, USA AND NORTH AMERICA AS PART OF OUR INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS PROGRAM, WHICH IS CONDUCTED ANNUALLY.


ALL PARTICIPANTS IN THIS LOTTERY PROGRAM HAVE BEEN SELECTED RANDOMLY THROUGH A COMPUTER BALLOT SYSTEM DRAWN FROM OVER 200,000 COMPANIES AND 30,000,000 INDIVIDUAL EMAILS ADDRESS FROM ALL SEARCH ENGINES AND WEB SITES. THIS PROMOTIONAL PROGRAM TAKES PLACE EVERY YEAR.

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. YOU ARE REQUIRED TO FORWARD THE FOLLOWING DETAILS TO HELP FACILITATE THE PROCESSING OF YOUR CERTIFICATE AND THE RELEASE OF YOUR WINNINGS PRIZE MONEY.


1. FULL NAMES.

2. RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS.

3. PHONE NUMBER.

4. OCCUPATION.

5.YOUR IDENTIFICATION OF YOURSELF SENT VIA EMAIL


YOU ARE ADVISED TO FORWARD THIS INFORMATION’S AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO ENABLE US ATTEND TO YOUR FILE. AND YOUR INFORMATION WILL BE FORWARDED TO OUR PAYMENT OFFICE, BEFORE THEY CAN RELEASE YOUR WINNINGS TO YOU, PLEASE FOR MORE INFORMATION’S YOU CAN CALL OUR PAYMENT OFFICER ( +44 7040 111 508 MR.DANIEL WILSON )ANYTIME.


ONCE AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS.


YOURS SINCERELY,


MR. MARK BENSON,







- lottery award

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam