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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
  (+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:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "claims 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 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.
  • britishinternational_winnings@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: BRITISH INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY <coordinator@thenotificationonline.co.uk>
Date: Sun, 08 Oct 2006 05:27:16 +0100
Subject: FINAL WINNING NOTIFICATION 2006 (YOU WON)!!!!

British Lottery Headquarters:
Customer Service
28 TANFIELD ROAD,
CROYDON.LONDON
Ref: BTL/491OXI/04
Batch: 12/25/0304
Date:08/10/2006

DEAR LUCKY WINNER

FINAL WINNING NOTIFICATION

We happily announce to you the draw of the British
Lottery International programs held on the 30th of
september 2006 in London. Your e-mail address attached to ticket
number:
564 75600545-188 with serial number 5388/02 drew the lucky numbers:
31-6-26-13-35-7,which subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd
category.

You have therefore been approved to claim a total
sum of US$2,500,000.00 (Two million, five hundred thousand,United
States
Dollars) in cash credited to file RPC/9080118308/04 made available from
a
total cash prize of US $125 Million dollars, shared amongst the first
Fifty (50) lucky winners in this category.

All participants were selected randomly from world
wide web sites through a computer drawn system and
extracted from over 100,000 companies. This promotion takes place
annually.

Please note that your lucky winning number falls
within our booklet representative office in Europe as indicated in our
play coupon. In view of this, your US$2,500,000.00 (Two million, five
hundred thousand, United States Dollars) would be released to you by
our
affiliate bank in London as soon as you establish contact.

To file for your claim, contact our fiduciary agent with the below
details;
AGENT: Mr. Mack Davidson
Email:britishinternational_winnings@yahoo.com

You are to provide the claims agent with the under listed

information as soon as possible:

1.FULL NAMES:..............................
2.DATE OF BIRTH:...........................
3.SEX:.....................................
4.MARITAL STATUS:..........................
5.CONTACT ADDRESS:.........................
6.COUNTRY:.................................
7.TELEPHONE NUMBER:........................
8.OCCUPATION:..............................
9.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF COMPANY/INDIVIDUAL:........
10.WINNING E-MAIL ADDRESS:.................
11.WINNING NUMBER:.........................
12.REF NUMBER:.............................
13.BATCH NUMBER:...........................
14.AMOUNT WON:.............................
15.HOW DO YOU FEEL AS WINNER:..............


To avoid unnecessary delays and complications, quote your
reference/batch
numbers in any correspondences with us or our designated agent.
Congratulations once more.
Faithfully,

Mr. Markerson Malon.
Zone Co-ordinator.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam