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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash)
• 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.
  • +447024029364 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: "UK NATIONAL LOTTERY" <marysmant162@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: claimsdirector79@aol.com
Date: Thu, 14 Dec 2006 15:15:49 -0500
Subject: COMPLIMENT OF THE SEASONS!!!

 

UK National Lottery,
41 Wigmore Street London W1U 1PJ, United Kingdom,
Draw date: 09/12/2006 
           
      

http://www.thelotter.com/Results_.asp?Lottery=24 
 
      
                                            

Ref  : UK/776090X2/23
Batch: 013/05/8394369

WINNING NOTIFICATION:
We happily announce to you the Draw # (2006/1144) of the UK NATIONAL LOTTERY, online UK National Lottery program held on  2nd December 2006.
Your e-mail address attached to Ticket Number: 8603775966738 with Serial number 5368/02 drew the Winning Numbers:05,08,10,18,20,46,43 (bonus no.43), which subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd category i.e match 6 plus bonus.

You have therefore been approved to claim total sum of £2,192,219.00(Two Million, One Hundred And Ninety Two Thousand, Two Hundred And nineteen pounds sterlings) in cash credited to file ktu/9023118308/03.All participants for the online version were selected randomly from World Wide Web sites through computer draw system and extracted from over 100,000 unions, associations, and corporate bodies that are listed online. This promotion takes place weekly.

Your lucky winning number falls within our European booklet representative office in Europe as indicated in your play coupon. In view of this, your £2,192,219.00(Two Million, One Hundred And Ninety Two Thuosand, Two Hundred And Nineteen pounds sterlings) will be released to you by any of our payment offices in Europe.

Our European agent will immediately commence the process to facilitate the release of your funds as soon as you contact her.For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information confidential till your claim is processed and your money remitted to you in whatever manner you deem fit to claim your prize.

This is part of our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program. Please be warned.

To file for your claim,Please contact our Fiduciary Agent for VALIDATION.

THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION BELOW ARE TO BE SUPPLIED COMPRE HENSIVELY BY THE BENEFICIARY OF T HE STATED FUND,FOR VERIFICATION BEFORE TRANSFER.

 1.FULL NAMES OF BENEFICIARY:
 2.RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS:
 3.DATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH:
 4.PHONE/FAX NUMBERS:
 5.NAME AND ADDRESS OF NEXT OF KIN:
 6.SEX:
 7.OCCUPATION:
 8.MARITAL STATUS:
 9.WINNING EMAIL:
10.AMOUNT WON:
11.NATIONALITY:

PAYMENT MODE: OPTIONS
 1.WINNER COMING TO OUR PAYMENT OFFICE
 2.CERTIFIED CHEQUE MADE OUT IN YOUR NAME COURIERED TO YOU VIA OUR AFFILIATE COURIER COMPANY AND WILL BE DELIVERED TO YOUR ADDRESS.

NOTE:BENEFICIARIES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR TRANSFER CHARGES. PLEASE INDICATE OPTION THAT BEST SUITS YOU.

DECLARATION:
I...............HEREBY DECLARE THAT THE ABOVE DATA ARE TRUE. IN CASE OF ANY UNFORSEEN CIRCUSTANCE,MY NEXT OF KIN HAS THE RIGHT TO CLAIM MY TOTAL WINNINGS.(SUPER STANDARD AGENT) SHALL ACT AS MY AGENT IN FACILITATING THE TRANSFER OF THE TOTAL FUND TO ME.
DATE--------

*******************************************************************
Mr Bright Johnson.
Foreign Services Manager, Payment and Release order
Department,CLAIMS PROCESSING  LOTTERY AGENT.
TRANS-ATLANTIC S.A LIVERPOOL, UNITED KINGDOM
Email:claimsdirector90@aol.com
Phone: +44-702-402-9364
Fax: +44-707-516-7845

Endeavour to email him your full names,winning numbers,email address,telephone and fax numbers immediately.

Congratulations from me and members of staff of THE UK NATIONAL LOTTERY.

Yours faithfully,
Mary Jones (Mrs)
Online Coordinator for THE NATIONAL LOTTERY

 

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam