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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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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)
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "million united states dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
• 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.
  • +447040116876 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
• 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.
  • claimsagent505@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "HARRY WALTER" <ukc_102opel@hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2006 19:17:10 -0600
Subject: << Your E-mail Was Selected... >>

LOTTOBOT ONLINE
104 Princes Street
Edinburgh ,EH2 3AA
U.K

Dear Sir/Madam,

This is to inform you that you have been selected for a cash prize of
1 million United States Dollars (USD) .This is in line with our online
promotional lottery .
The selection process was carried out through random selection in
our computerized email selection system(ess) from a database of over
250,000 email addresses drawn from all the continents of the world.
This Lottery is approved by the British Gaming Board and also
Licensed by the The International Association of Gaming Regulators
(IAGR). This promotional lottery is the first of its kind and we intend
to sensitize the public.
To begin the processing of your prize you are to contact your claims
officer through our accredited Prize Transfer agents as stated

below:

MR HARRY WALTER
CLAIMS DEPT. MANAGER,
LOTTOBOT UK
www.lottobot.net
EMAIL:claimsagent505@yahoo.com
TEL:+44-704-011-6876
Fax:+44-870-135-804
Contact him, please provide him with your secret pin code
x7pwyz2005 and your reference number REF:NO.L-L-I30557-00.You
are also advised to provide him with the under listed information as
soon as possible:

Claim requirements:
1.Name in full
2.Address
3.Nationality
4.Age
5.Occupation
6.Phone/Fax
7.Present Country

If you do not contact your claims agent within 7 working days of this
notification,your winnings would be revoked. Winners are advised to
keep their winning details/information from the public to avoid
fraudulent claim (IMPORTANT)pending the transfer/claim by
Winner.
Accept my hearty congratulations once again!
Regards
THE LOTTERY COORDINATOR,
LOTTOBOT UK.
Do not reply to this mail Contact your claims agent
===========================================================
============
This email and its attachments are confidential and intended for the
exclusive use of the addressee(s).This email and its attachments may
also be privileged or protected by legal rules. If you have received
this by mistake please let us know by reply immediately and destroy
the email and its attachments without reading, copying or forwarding
the contents.

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam