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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:
  • "claim 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.
  • +447031820237 (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.
  • megafinance_securitiesltd@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: stella ellis <stella_ellis002@mail.ru>
Date: Thu, 16 Nov 2006 05:38:32 +0300
Subject: winning notification






International Online British Co-ordinators
Ref: LSUK/2031/8161/06
Batch: R3/A312-59
TICKET NUMBER:56475600545 188

WINNING NOTIFICATION:

We happily announce to you the uk lottery draw of the
Lottery International programs held
in the UK on September 20th, 2006.

Your e-mail address was attached to these lucky
winning numbers below: 3 21 29 35 38 45 46 Verify from this website below for more information:

http://www.thelotter.com/LotteryResults.aspx?id=24&DrawNumber=55914

which subsequently won you the lottery bonus draw.You
have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of
£1,411,571.00 {One Million Four Hundred and Eleven
Thousand Five Hundred and Seventy One Great Britain
pounds sterlings} in cash credited to file
KTU/9023118308/06.

This is from a total cash prize of £6,8469,426.00
shared amongst the (6) lucky winners in this category
i.e Match 5 plus bonus.

Your prize awards has been insured in your names and
ready for claim.To begin your claims therefore, you
are advised on final notice and as amatter of urgency,
to contact our licensed and accredited claim agent for
Overseas Lottery Winners for the processing of your
prize awards winning and payment to your
designated bank account after all statutory
obligations have been concluded satisfactorily.
Contact thus:

FINANCIAL DIRECTOR
WALTER COLE
MEGAFINANCE & SECURITIES UKLTD
TELEPHONE NUMBER: +447031820237
FAX NUMBER: +44870 471 1996
EMAIL ADDRESS : megafinance_securitiesltd@yahoo.co.uk

Congratulations!!!
Stella Ellis(Mrs)
Zonal Co-ordinator

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam