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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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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:
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash)
• 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.
  • +447031840839 (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.
  • agent_harrygoss_1@yahoo.com
  • agent_harrygoss@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: "helen ellis" <helenellis_coordinator@hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2006 12:08:33 +0200
Subject: WINNING NOTIFICATION / FINAL NOTICE.................CONGRATULATIONS!

The National Lottery
P O Box 1010 gnb
Liverpool, L70 1NL
UNITED KINGDOM
(8am-6pm)uk GMT TIME1
Ref: UK/9420X2/68
Batch: 074/05/ZY369

ATTEN,
We happily announce to you the draw (#1019) of the UK NATIONAL
LOTTERY,online Sweepstakes International program held on THE 25th OF March
2006, Your e-mail address
attached to ticket number: 56475600545 188 with Serial number 5368/02 drew
the lucky numbers:21-32-41-42-43-46, and a bonus number of (17)which
subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd category.You have therefore been
approved to claim a total sum of £251,420 (two hundred and fifthy-one
thousand,four hundred and twenty pounds) in cash credited to file
KTU/9023118308/03.This is from a total cash prize of £1,005,680 shared
amongst the (4) lucky winners in this category i.e Match 5 plus bonus.
All participants for the online version were selected randomly from World
Wide Web sites through computer draw system and extracted from over 100,000
unions, associations, and corporate bodies
that are listed online. This promotion takes place weekly. Please note that
your lucky winning number falls within our European booklet representative
office in Europe as indicated in your playcoupon. In view of this, your
£251,420 (two hundred and fifthy-one thousand,four hundred
and twenty pounds) would be released to you by any of our payment offices
in Europe.
Our European agent will immediately commence the process to facilitate the
release of your funds as soon as you contact him.For security reasons, you
are advised to keep your winning information confidential till your claims
is processed and your money remitted to you in whatever manner you deem fit
to claim your prize.This is part of our precautionary measure to avoid
double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program. Please be warned.
To file for your claim,

(Form HLP)
REFERENCE NUMBER: UK/9420X2/68
FULL NAME...............................................
COMPANY NAME: ...........................................
FULL ADDRESS:...........................................
SEX:.................................
AGE...................................
OCCUPATION.............................
TEL.......................FAX................. (If any)
COUNTRY................................
E-MAIL..................................
HAVE YOU A PASSPORT OR LICENCE.............(identification on delivery)

ANNUAL INCOME..........................

INDICATE PREFERRED MODE OF PRIZE COLLECTION:
(A) CHEQUE

(B) DRAFT
(BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF COMPANY/ INDIVIDUAL:
.................................................................
.................................................................
................................................................
____________________________
____________________________
Date.
Signature
Please contact the under listed claims officer (agent) via email.
DR.HARRY GOSS
Chief financial Director
Telephone +447031840839
Email: agent_harrygoss_1@yahoo.com or agent_harrygoss@yahoo.com
NATIONAL LOTTERY.
Yours faithfully,
Mrs Helen Ellis
Online coordinator for UK NATIONAL LOTTERY
Sweepstakes International Program.
Goodluck from me and members of staff of the UK

_________________________________________________________________
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http://messenger.msn.co.za/


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam