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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 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:
  • "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 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.
  • universal_claims2006v@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • mabray@zwallet.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: PROFF.MARTINS HAMBET <universal_2006vlottery@yaoo.com>
Reply-To: universal_claims2006v@yahoo.com
Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2006 11:07:28 +0200
Subject: :congratulation, winner of (US$500.000.00) five hundred thousand u.s dollars.






NOTICE...CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
FROM THE OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
UNIVERSAL LOTTERY
PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPT
BATCH NO: 65409/11/05/ELT
REF. NO: ELT/54390812/121/8732
WINNING NOTIFICATION / FINAL
NOTICE...CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

This is to inform you of the release of the E-MAIL LOTTERYBALLOT
INTERNATIONAL/ WORLD GAMING BOARD. Your name attached to ticket number
217428 with Serial number
770432 drew the lucky numbers of 62-81-75-64-20-44, which consequently won
the lottery in the 1st category. You have therefore been approved for a lump
sum payment of
Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars ( US$500,000.00 ) only, which
is deposited in your favour as beneficiary and covered with HIGH INSURANCE
POLICY.
It is important that keep your winning confidential to avoid people
garnering your information and subsequently making claim with your winning
paraphernalia information, UNIVERSAL LOTTERY will decline payment if such
irregularity occurs.
All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from
only Microsoft users from over 20,000.00 companies and 3,000,000.00
individual email addresses and
names from all over the world. To begin your lottery claim,
please contact your claims agent below on or before the 25th of may 2006
CONTACT NAME: MARIO DESANA
EMAIL:universal_claims2006v@yahoo.com
mabray@zwallet.com
It is imperative that you contact your assigned payment officer within the
stipulated period of time. After this date all unclaimed funds will be
included in subsequent promos.
Please note in order to avoid preventable delays and Complications please
remember to quote your reference number and batch numbers in all
correspondence.
Furthermore, should there be any change of address do inform our agent as
soon as possible.
Congratulations once more from our members of staff and thank you for being
part of our promotional program.
Yours Sincerely,
PROFF.MARIO DESANA
( vice President )
universal_lottery2006v
DISCLAIMER: This communication is for the exclusive use of the intended
recipient (s) and shall not attach any liability on the originator,
UNIVERSAL LOTTERY,
.If you are the addressee, the contents of this letter are intended for
your use only and it shall not be forwarded to any third party, without
first
obtaining written authorizations from the originator.It may contain
information, which is confidential and legally privileged and the same shall
not be used or dealt with by any third party in any manner without the
specific consent of UNIVERSAL LOTTERY.
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam