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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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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:
  • "to your nominated bank account" (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 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.
  • +447031817539 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr Scott" <claimsfiduciaryagent@myway.com>
Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2006 06:25:01 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: FILL AND RETURN FORM








Attention:Lucky Winner,

How are you doing today?Thanks for your response to the winning notification that was sent to you.Congratulations once again on your victory,you are a lucky person to have won this LOTTERY.Your email address was randomly selected via our cyber email selection machine.This event is done annually and it is a promotional event to assist the less privileged worldwide. You are required to fill the below detail and send it back via email with the following details to help facilitate the processing of your certificate and the release of your winnings:

1. FULL NAMES.2. RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS.3. PHONE NUMBER.4. FAX NUMBER.5. AGE.6. OCCUPATION.7. NATIONALITY.8. NEXT OF KIN.9. AMOUNT WON.10.WINNINGS NUMBERS.11.TICKET NUMBERS.12.REF/BATCH NUMBERS.

You are adviced to forward these information as soon as possible to enable us attend to your file.Please note that your funds have been deposited safely in a security firms in Europe and your information will be forwarded to them before they can release your winnings.

After you have sent down these information, a certificate will be issued to you.This is to be your proof of winning from this office to the security firm before they release your funds.We have put this measure in place to secure our winners funds. However you are advised to keep your winning information confidential until your claim application is duly processed and your winnings remmited to your nominated Bank Account.

In the constitution of our company, we are not allowed to deduct or remove any amount of money from the prizes won by our clients-either for charges,taxes or other expenses which are needed for the processing and transfer of our clients'funds into their nominated bank accounts. This is because of the hard cover insurance policy that came with it and also for the safety of our client's funds.You are adviced to forward these information as soon as possible to enable us attend to your file.

Once again, congratulations.Have a nice day.

Yours sincerely,

Rev.Scott Smith,

Tel:+44 703 181 7539

_______________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam