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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:
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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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
• 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.
  • frank_clients_claims@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "uklottery_21" <uklottery_21@terra.com.mx>
Date: Wed, 26 Jul 2006 00:20:23 -0600
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS!!!!



UK NATIONAL LOTTERY INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD
DEPT. www.national-lottery.co.uk
BATCH NO: PTP/41211587457/601784/4102
REF. NO. PTP/11458747220/145100//5102
WINNING NOTIFICATION / FINAL NOTICE...

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

Dear Sir/Madam,

This is to inform you of the release of the E-MAIL LOTTERY BALLOT INTERNATIONAL/WORLD GAMING BOARD held on the 17th of july,2006.Due to some mix up of numbers, the results were released on the 30th of august, 2006. Your email address attached to ticket number 565872458434 with serial number 5515588125 drew the lucky numbers of 51-20-31-82-00 which consequently won the lottery in the 2nd category. You have therefore been approved for a lump sum payout of £1,000,000.00 POUNDS Only (ONE MILLION POUNDS ONLY) which is deposited with Finance & Security Company in your favor as beneficiary and covered with HIGH INSURANCE POLICY.

Due to mix up of some numbers and emails, we ask that you keep your winning information confidential until your claims have been processed and your claim remitted to you. This is part of our security protocol to avoid incidence double claims and unwarranted abuse of this program by some participants. All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from only Microsoft users from over 20,000.00 companies and 3,000,000 individual email addresses and names from all over the world.

To begin your lottery claim, please contact the appointed agent responsible for the processing of your claim with your full name and contact telephone and fax number:

CONTACT NAME: Mr. Fank John
CITY/ COUNTRY: London,
UK TEL: 44 7031911288
EMAIL: frank_clients_claims@yahoo.com

Note that all winnings must be claimed not later than 30th of March 2006. After this date all unclaimed funds will be included in the next stake. Please note: in order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications remember to quote your reference number and batch numbers in all correspondence.

Furthermore, should there be any change of address do inform our agent as soon as possible. Congratulations once more from our members of staff and thank you for being part of our promotional program. Note: Anybody under the age of 18 is automatically disqualified.

Yours Sincerely,
Mrs. Joy White
(Lottery Coordinator).

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam