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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)
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "deadline" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
• 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.
  • agentmichealadams@yahoo.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: "ANDREW BLAIR" <andrewblair@terra.com.mx>
Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2006 01:14:36 -0600
Subject: NOTIFICATION OF CLAIM!!!



WINNING NOTIFICATION 17A OXFORD STREET, UNITED KINGDOM ORIGINAL COPY

I.D. Number 5868 112 7341 104 BATCH No: LH/003781-WGM Our Ref: 00337/510499-WGM
June, 2006

CONGRATULATIONS!!!


Dear sir/madam
We are pleased to announce the result of the AUSTRALIAN LOTTERY/INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS held on 09th December 2005.Your company, attached to ticket number 045-1146-1892-450, with serial number 2113-05 drew the lucky numbers 12-11-22-97-39-43, and consequently won the lottery in the 3rd category. You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of US$2,800,000.00 TWO MILLION EIGHT HUNDRED THOUSAND US DOLLARS in cash credited to file REF NO. AUT/9800/14701-02 this is from total prize money of (US$181,600,000.00) One Hundred and Eighty One Million Six Hundred Thousand US Dollars shared among the seventeen international winners in this category. All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from 25,000 names. From Australia, New Zealand, Europe and North America as part of our international Promotions Program, this is conducted annually.
Congratulations once again your fund is now deposited with The Lloyds Bank of London insured in your name. We ask that you keep this award strictly from public notice until your claim has been processed and your money remitted to your account. This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming or unscrupulous acts by participants of this program. We hope with a part of you prize, you will participate in our end of year high stakes US$1.3 billion International Lottery. Since we don’t deal directly with the public to begin your claim, this notice will be forwarded to our licensed European Agency in the UK, To begin your claim please contact your claims agent; MR. MICHAEL ADAMS, FOREIGN OPERATIONAL MANAGER, on, EMAIL: {agentmichealadams@yahoo.co.uk} for due processing and remittance of your prize money to a designated account of your choice. Remember: the deadline for this notice is the 11th of July 2006. Non-compliance within this time period may result in disqualification and your prize will be returned to the AUSTRALIAN LOTTERY OR AMERICAN RED CROSS as unclaimed and no reminder will be send to you again. To avoid such action, remember to quote your ID and Batch Numbers in every one of your correspondences with your agent. Furthermore, should there be any change of your address, please do inform your claims agent as soon as possible Congratulations again from all our staff and thank you for being part of our promotions program. NOTE: anybody under the age of 18 is automatically disqualified.
Yours Sincerely,
ANDREW BLAIR
(PROMOTIONAL MANAGER)

ALL CASH PAYMENT ARE AUTOMATICALLY VERIFIED AND FORWARDED WITHOUT TAX WITHOLDING

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam