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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.

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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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "euromillion loteria"
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claim 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.
  • +34636287740 (Spain, prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • merittrust1@aim.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: EUROMILLION <lottopostmaster@mynet.com>
Reply-To: merittrust1@aim.com
Date: Wed, 09 Aug 2006 21:51:49 +0200
Subject: FILE FOR YOUR CLAIM !!!!!!!


Euromillion Loteria Español
Pol.Lasao, Area Anardi
155, 28090 Madrid.
Spain Branch.

Ref. Nº: ES/007/05/12/MAD. Batch. Nº:
GHT/2907/333/05.


YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS WON THE LOTTERY.
Congratulations to you as we bring to your notice, the results of the Second Category draws of EURO MILLION LOTTERY. We are happy to inform you that you have emerged as a winner
under the Second Category, which is part of our promotional draws. The draws are being officially announced on the 8th of August 2006. Participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from 2,500,000 email addresses of individuals and companies from
Africa, America, Asia, Australia, Europe, Middle East, and Oceania as part of our International
Promotions Program.
Your e-mail address, attached to ticket number (45407), with serial number 65211 and lucky
numbers 3-18-40-40-76 consequently won in the Second Category. You have therefore
been awarded a lump sum of EUR 667,248.26. (Six Hundred And Sixty Seven Thousand, Two Hundred and Forty Eight Euros. Twenty Six Cents).
which is the winning payout for the second Category winners.please send your Full Name, Home and Office Tel & Fax Number, Mobile Tel Number and your winning ticket number, reference numbers and amount won information for processing of your winning fund to our
registered claim agent in address below:

Merit Trust Agency
John Walter.
E-mail: merittrust1@aim.com
Tel:+34-636287740.

All winning
must be claimed not later than 10th August, 2006. Please note, in order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, remember to quote your reference number and batch number in all correspondence.
Once again congratulations.

Best regard,

Mrs. Blanca Fernandez
Lottery coordinator.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam