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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:
  • "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.
  • smith_woods7@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "UK LOTTERY" <smith_woods10@hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 09 Jun 2006 23:31:58 +0000
Subject:

National Lottery
P O Box 1010
Liverpool, L70 1NL
UNITED KINGDOM
(Customer Services)

Ref: UK/9420X2/68
Batch: 074/05/ZY369

      

                         WINNING NOTIFICATION

We happily announce to you the draw (#1091) of the UK NATIONAL
LOTTERY,online Sweepstakes International program held on 7th June  2006

Your e-mail address attached to ticket number : 56475600545  188 with 
Serial number 5368/02 drew the lucky numbers: 06 . 09.11.14. 33. 48 . [31] Bonus Ball
 which subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd category i.e. match 5 plus bonus.

You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of £250,000 (Two
hundred and fifty thousand pounds sterlings)in cash credited to file 
KTU/9023118308/03.

 

This is from a total cash prize of £1,000,000 shared amongst the first
four(5)lucky winners in this category i.e Match 4 plus bonus.
All participants for the online version were selected randomly from
WorldWide Web sites through computer draw system and extracted from
over 100,000unions,associations, and corporate bodies that are listed
online.This promotion takes place weekly.

 

Please note that your lucky winning number falls within our European
bookletrepresentative office in Europe as indicated in your play
coupon.

 

In  view of this, your £250,000 (Two hundred and fifty thousand pounds
sterlings)would be released to you by any of ourpayment 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 

your claim 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, please fill the form below and contact our
claims agent whose details is given below.

Name_____________________________________

Country__________________________________

Occupation_______________________________

Sex______________________________________

Age________________ _______________________

Tel/Fax___________________________________

 

                CLAIMS AGENT CONTACT.

Name :Mr.Sean Wright
Email:smith_woods7@yahoo.co.uk

 

CONGRATULATIONS  FROM THE MEMBERS AND STAFF OF UK NATIONAL LOTTERY.

 

Yours faithfully,
Mr. Brian Hunt.
Online coordinator for UK NATIONAL LOTTERY
Sweepstakes International Program.
NATIONAL LOTTERY.

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam