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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:
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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:
  • "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 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.
  • +447024069220 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
  • +448712392112 (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.
  • agent_harrycole7@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Microtrust Email" <microtrust_em@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: agent_harrycole7@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Thu, 26 Oct 2006 02:08:15 +0000
Subject: FROM THE MICROTRUST EMAIL LOTTERY INT'L BONANZA 2006

FROM THE MICROTRUST EMAIL LOTTERY INT'L BONANZA 2006

 

Dear Winner,

BACTH NO: MCT/120987437645/2006/06
REF.  NO: GRP/2636619/Q

 

This is to inform you of the release of the E-MAIL
LOTTERY BALLOT INTERNATIONAL / WORLD GAMING BOARD held
on the 30TH of September, 2006.

 

Due to the mix up of numbers, the results were
released on the 24TH of October, 2006. Your name attached to
ticket number 2190286573 with serial number 1873562 drew the
lucky numbers of 23-72-39-42-77 which consequently won
the lottery in the 1st category.

 

You have therefore been approved for a lump sum payout
of £2,000,000:00 Only ( TWO MILLION GREAT BRITISH
POUNDS ONLY) in cash which is deposited with a Finance & Security
Company in your favour as beneficiary and covered with HIGH
INSURANCE POLICY. Due to the mix up of some numbers and names,
we ask that you keep your winning information confidential until
your claims has been processed and your money remitted to
you. This is part of our security protocol to avoid double
claiming 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 companies and 3,000,000 individual email addresses and
names from all over the world.

 

        PAST WINNERS IN THE MICROTRUST EMAIL LOTTERY

  

 

To begin your lottery claim, please contact our agent
below that has been appointed for the processing of your
claim with your contact telephone and fax number.

 

MICROTRUST PAYMENT OFFICE
CITY/ COUNTRY: BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND
CONTACT NAME: HARRY COLE

TEL: +44 702 406 9220

FAX: +44 871 239 2112

Email:agent_harrycole7@yahoo.co.uk

 

 

Note that all winning must be claimed not later than
the 27^th of November, 2006. After this date all unclaimed
funds will be included in the next stake.
Also note that in order to avoid unnecessary delays
and complications please remember to quote your reference
number and batch number 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.

 

Yours Sincerely,

 

Mrs. Latitia Pederson

(PROMOTIONS COORDINATOR)

 

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

1) PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS OFFICE, CONTACT YOUR
CLAIMS AGENT BY EMAIL GIVEN ABOVE.

 

2) NO TICKET WAS SOLD FOR THIS PROMOTION, YOUR EMAIL
ADDRESS ATTACHED TO A PROMOTIONAL TICKET WON THIS LOTTERY.

 

3) ANY BREACH OF CONFIDENTIALITY ON THE PART OF THE
WINNERS WILL RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION. TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY.

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam