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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:

• 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.
  • info_wgbplc@yahoo.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: Thomas Wellington <sonicbvclaimsunit_4@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2006 18:33:09 +0100 (BST)
Subject: ATTN:CONTACT OUR PAYING BANK NOW!!




SONIC BV LOTTERY INTERNATIONAL
Singel Canal, 1017 AZ Amsterdam.
Annual Lottery Promotions
Customer Service
Ref:SLI/4080318306/05
Batch: 074/05/ZY369


ATTN:WINNER
30TH SEPTEMBER,2006.
You have been offically cleared for payment by our verification
department,so you are to contact our paying bank whom would be responsible for transferring your winning funds to you as soon as possible.

Contact Officer: Joannes Russell
GM, International Transfers & Foreign Operations
Watergate Bank Corporate Headquarters
47 Ropemaker Street London,UK.
E-mail: info_wgbplc@yahoo.co.uk

Make sure you forward every correspondence you will be having with the bank to us. If you need any assistance, do not hesitate to inform us.

Best Regards,
Mr Thomas Wellington




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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam