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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
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
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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:
  • "fiduciary 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 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.
  • +447031925241 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: "British International Lottery" <government.highchambers@britishpromotion.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 23 Jun 2006 07:45:00 -0700
Subject: WINNERS VERIFICATION PROCESS........... Ref No. BTL/101OXI/02.


* *
* **BRITISH INTERNATIONAL PROMOTION *
*CUSTOMER SERVICES*

*
28 TANFIELD ROAD
CROYDON.LONDON
Ref: BTL/101OXI/02
Batch: 16/211/0374

23rd June, 2006.
*
*Dear Winner**,*
****
*Congratulations from all members of staff of the Lottery Board. You have
emerged one of the ten Lucky winners of the BRITISH INTERNATIONAL
PROMOTIONAL LOTTERY!! All Winners for the online PROMO 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 biannually and is sponsored by
the British Government for all Nationalities. I have been assigned by the
British Lottery Board to represent you here in the United Kingdom as your
Fiduciary Agent. *
****
*In order to verify your winnings, we require the following winning
informations for record purposes. Below is a copy of our claims verification
form*, *please do fill accordingly so as to proceed with the release of your
Lottery Winnings.*
**
**
**
*VERIFICATION FORM*
**
*1.FULL NAMES: ---------------------------------*
**
*2.ADDRESS: ------------------------------------*
**
*3.SEX: ----------------------------*
**
*4.AGE: ----------------------------*
**
*5.MARITAL STATUS: ------------------------*
**
*6.OCCUPATION: --------------------------------*
**
*7.E-MAIL ADDRESS: -----------------------------*
**
*8.TELEPHONE NUMBERS: -------------------------*
**
*9.DRAW NUMBERS: ---------------------------*
**
*10.TICKET NUMBER: --------------------------*
**
*11.SERIAL NUMBER: --------------------------*
**
*12.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF COMPANY/INDIVIDUAL---*
**
*-----------------------------------------------*
**
*13.COUNTRY: -----------------------------------*
**
*NOTE: You are to send along side a scanned copy of any of the following:*
*(i) International passport, *
*(ii) Driver's license or any form of identification that we can use to
identify you.*
**
*Once these requirements are met, your winnings would be released to you via
any form you deem fit.*
**
*Ensure that your winning information is kept confidential so that your
winning amount of £450,000.00 (Four Hundred and Fifty Thousand pounds
sterling) would not be tampered with by somebody else.**This will enable us
stop double claims of winnings .*
**
*Congratulations once again and we look forward to your invitation on this
grand celebration!!!!*
**
*Yours Respectfully,*
*Karen Williams for*
*SIR GERALD JOHNSON Esq.*
*(FIDUCIARY AGENT).*
*PHONE: +44-70-3192-5241, **+44-70-2401-5273.*
**
** *[image: You must be 16 or over to play or claim a prize]
*
** ** ** **

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam