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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:

• 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:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "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.
  • marless7@yahoo.com.tw (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • luthermarcos7@yahoo.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: =?big5?q?Maria=20Ellis?= <marless7@yahoo.com.tw>
Date: Tue, 6 Jun 2006 08:37:46 +0800 (CST)
Subject: Urgent Attention


§Ú¦³·sªº«H½c¤F!§A¥i¥H±H«Hµ¹§Ú¨ì: marless7@yahoo.com.tw

EUR-STATES-LOTTERY Headquarters:


Customer Service

Ref: UK/9420X2/68

Batch: 074/05/ZY369


WINNING NOTIFICATION:


We happily announce to you the draw of the STATES-LOTTO Sweepstake

Online Lottery International programs held on the 5th of June , 2006

in LONDON ENGLAND Your e-mail address attached to ticket number:


56475600545 188 with Serial number 5368/02drew the lucky

numbers:19-6-26-17-35-7, which subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd category. You have

therefore been approved to claim a total sum of US$2,500,000.00 (Two

million,Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) in cash credited to

file ktu/9023118308/03.


This is from a total cash prize of US $ 25 Million dollars, shared

amongst the first Ten (10) lucky winners in this category.All participants

were selected randomly from World Wide Web site through computer draw

system and extracted from over 100,000 companies.


This promotion takes place annually 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

US$2,500,000.00 (Two million,Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) would be

released to you by our payment office 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 by some unscrupulous elements.Please

be warned.


To file for your claim, please contact our fiduciary

AGENT: MR MARCOS LUTHER

Email: luthermarcos7@yahoo.co.uk


To avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please quote your full

names,your country, your private Telephone and fax number, your

reference/batch numbers etc in any correspondences with us or our designated

agent.


Congratulations once more from all members and staffs of this

program.Thank you for being

part of our promotional lottery program.

Sincerely,


MARIA ELLIS

STATES-LOTTO Co-ordinator .



- Maria Ellis

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam