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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:
  • "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!

Fraud email example:

From: IRISH BOARD <irishnetfiler@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Wed, 10 May 2006 02:13:05 +0100 (BST)
Subject: URGENT ATTENTION


Good day,

Below is your WINNING NOTIFCATION which i have in my custody as your CLAIMS AGENT. You really must count your self lucky to have emerged a WINNER because oppurtunities like this comes once in a life time. Do provided the requested data's earlier asked in my previous e-mail as soon as possible so as to file to the next step of your claims process.

WINNING NOTIFICATION:
We happily announce to you the draw (#1004) of the IRISH LOTTERY online Sweepstakes International program held on sat 07 Jan 2006 - 9.32pm. It is now available for claims and you are getting the final NOTIFICATION as regards this.
Your e-mail address attached to ticket number:56475600545 188 with Serial number 5368/02 drew the lucky numbers:02, 03, 10, 12, 14, 19, (bonus no.20), which subsequently won you the lottery in the 1st category i.e match 5 plus bonus.
You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of £1.35 Million(One million, three hundred and fifty thousand, pounds sterling) in cash credited to file KTU/9023118308/03. This is from a total cash prize of £4,419,864 shared amongst the(2)lucky winners in this category i.e Match 6 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 play coupon. In view of this, your £1.35 Million(One million, three hundred and fifty thousand, pounds sterling) will be released to you by any of our payment offices in Europe.


Regards

Dr Felix Parker
CLAIMS AGENT

Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam