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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
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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:
  • "claim 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.
  • lotteryagent_smith1@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "LOtt " <lott120@rediffmail.com>
Date: 14 Nov 2006 04:05:53 -0000
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS![




AWARD PRIZE:&nbsp;£1,000,000,000 GB
Claims Agent
Name: Desmond SmithCONTACT BAR: lotteryagent_smith1@yahoo.co.uk
AWARD FINANCE DEPARTMENTSACCREDITTED EGENCY.
REF NO: MSW/ 776090X2/23BATCH NO: 013/05/8394369

DEAR WINNER,
This Award is sponsored by a consortium Software promotion Companies ,The Intel Group ,Dell Computers,Microsoft and other International Companies to encourage the use of the internate and promote computer literacy worldwide.
We are proud to say that over 20 million American Dollas are won annually in more than 150 Countries worldwide.
Following official publication of results of the E-mail electronic Online Sweepstakes Realise on&nbsp;the&nbsp; &nbsp;November 2006. Your electronic Email- Address emerged as one of the online winning Lucky-Emails in the 1st category and therefore you are hereby Approved&nbsp;to claim a cash award of &gt;&gt;£1,000,000,000 GB&lt;&lt;&lt;{ One Million Great Britian Pounds SterlingsOnly}.
We write to notify you of this award, to advise you contact the processing office immediately upon receipt of this message .For more informations concerning the processing and eventual payment of the above prize to you.It is important to note that your award information&nbsp;was Released&nbsp;with the following particulars attached to it.
Ticket No: 8603775966738Serial No :5368/02Winning No: 03,15,21,22,36,47,27 { Bonus No:17}
Please contact the claim agent mentioned above&nbsp;not more than&nbsp;3 days to facilitate the realise of your prize ,You are required to only send the below informations to him for the process of your Award Certiticate free to enhance the payments fund to you by cash ,or Bank to Bank&nbsp;remmittance to your a/c to be submitted Immediately the Certificate is Approved for Payments by the payee bank.
Your Full Name Your Address and Nationality.Your Date of Birth.Your CccupationYour Phone / Fax if any.
Please remember ,All winning must be claimed not later than 2 days on receipt of this notification&nbsp;and Note&nbsp;in order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, remember to quote your reference number and batch number in all correspondence .Once again ,on behalf of all our staff&gt;
CONGRATULATIONS![
Sincerely,Ms Danny EllenPromotional co-ordinator.
The Microsoft National Lottery Inc

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam