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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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• 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.

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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "hundred thousand united states dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
• 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.
  • gukpromanager@yahoo.com.hk

Fraud email example:

From: =?big5?q?Palmer=20David?= <ukpromanager@yahoo.com.hk>
Reply-To: promanager22@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Wed, 17 May 2006 01:02:46 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS!!! JACKPOT WINNER


§Ú¦³·sªº¹q¶l¦a§}¡I§A²{¥i¹q¶lµ¹§Ú¡Gukpromanager@yahoo.com.hk

The FreeLotto Company

UK Head Office

Suite 23-30, Lion Towers

Central London

England

www.freelotto.com

Attn: Lucky Winner

Dear Sir/Madam,

This is to inform you of the release of the E-MAIL LOTTERY BALLOT INTERNATIONAL/ FREELOTTO COMPANY GAMING BOARD held on the 12th of May, 2006.

Due to the mix up of numbers, the results were released on the 13th of May, 2006. Your name attached to Email Ticket Number: FL754-22/76/2006 with Winning Numbers: 9718-4380-676-1 drew the lucky numbers of The File Ref Number: FL/04/736207152/UK which consequently won the lottery in the 1st category.

You have therefore been approved for a lump sum payout of USD5,500,000:00 Only ( FIVE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS ONLY) in cash which is deposited with a Finance Company in your favour as beneficiary and covered with HIGH INSURANCE POLICY.

Due to mix up of some numbers and names, we ask that you keep your winning information confidential until your claims have been processed and your money remitted to you. This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program by some participants.

To begin your lottery claim, please get back to us for the processing of your claim with your contact telephone and fax number.

Once again on behalf of the Management,

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Sincerely,

Mr. David Palmer

Promotions Manager

The FreeLotto Company



- Palmer David

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam