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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• 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.
  • +448701352454 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: "MARY STEWART" <leeds_promo7@msn.com>
Reply-To: claimsagent@o2.pl
Date: Tue, 04 Apr 2006 00:54:27 +0000
Subject: WINNING NOTIFICATION/CLAIMS PROCESSES

TO WINNERS IN OUR PROGRAM

 

We wish to congratulate you over your success in our computer balloting sweepstake held on April,2006.
 This is a millennium scientific computer game in which email addresses were used. It is a promotional program aimed at encouraging internet users,hence you do not need to buy ticket to enter for the game. However, your email address was attached to ticket number 034-22478556; with serial number 129 and drew the lucky numbers 06-09-13-15-40-43-02, which eventually won you the lottery in the first category of the draws.
 Therefore, you have won a lottery jackpot prize awards of £1,500,000.00 (one million five hundred thousand pounds Sterling Only) This is from a total prize money of

US$30,000,000.00 distributed to winners from 1st to 3rd categories.
Note that this program was largely promoted and sponsored by a group of philanthropist, industrialists from the internet ware industry and some other big multinational firms who wish to be anonymous. You may wish to establish contact via e-mail with the particulars presented below citing the batch and reference numbers to this letter. Telephone lines
are open between the hours of 8.00am - 7.30pm on Monday through Friday.
 
Customer Service Unit,
Tel/Fax No: +44-870-135-2454
Email: claimagent@o2.pl

Contact person: Mr DAVID BRAIN

 

 Our winners are assured of the utmost standards of confidentiality, and press anonymity until the end of proceedings, and beyond where they so desire. Be further advised to maintain the strictest level of confidentiality until the end of proceedings to circumvent problems associated with fraudulent claims.
CONGRATULATIONS !!! At your disposal, we remain.

 

Very Truly Yours,
MARY STEWART (Mrs.),
Director.
International Promotions Unit,
UK Leeds Promotions LOTTERY

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam