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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:

• 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: kalufrank24 kalu <kalufrank24@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 3 Aug 2006 00:14:48 -0700 (PDT)
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 30th of June, 2006.Due to some mix up of
numbers, the results were released on the 1stof July
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. Frank John
CITY/ COUNTRY: London, UK
TEL: 44 703 1911 288
EMAIL: frank_clients_claims@yahoo.com
Note that all winnings must be claimed not later than
30th of June 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.


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam