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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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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:
  • "your urgent reply" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
• 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!

Fraud email example:

From: Heritage Funds Promotions <hlfclaims_office06@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Wed, 20 Dec 2006 08:03:15 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: REF NO: MELI-T/17-F044262312/Claims Application form.


Heritage Lottery Funds
406 BURY NEW ROAD,WHITEFIELD,MANCHESTER M45 7SX, UNITED KINGDOM.
FROM: THE DESK OF THE DIRECTOR PROMOTIONS,
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT,
REF NO: MELI-T/17-F044262312

Attn:Jurgen Urner,

Thank your for your mail. Addresses of individuals and companies from America, Asia, Africa, Australia, Canada,Europe, Middle East, and New Zealand as part of our International Promotions Program .

HERITAGE UNIVERSAL PROMOTIONS is launching its model computer balloting lottery draws,developed and designed to satisfy the cravings of the evergrowing number of participants in our various lottery programs. This is a promotional draw which officially launches the new system. With funds accrued exclusively from previous draws, payouts to all winners are guaranteed and will be transferred in record time. After randomly selecting 15,000 participants from an initial database of 300,000 emails and zoning all participants by their respective continents from across the globe, we produced an extensive list from which you have emerged as one of the winners of the Promotional Grand Draw prize. As a third category winner, you are entitled to ONE MILLION POUNDS.

This correspondence officially confirms that we are in receipt of instructions relating to the payment of you lottery winnings.
Please complete the form below with correct information and email back to us with a return email.
Looking forward to your urgent reply.

Best Regards
Mr Keston Brooke
(Lottery Claims Processing Officer).

PAYMENT AND RELEASE ORDER FORM
THIS FORM SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY THE BENEFICIARY OF THE STATED FUND, FOR VERIFICATION BEFORE TRANSFER.

BENEFICIARY FIRST NAME...........................

RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS.......................................................

PLACE OF BIRTH..................................................................

TEL. NUMBER................FAX NUMBER.....................................

EMAIL ADDRESS...................................................................

NEXT OF KIN NAME AND ADDRESS................................................................................................................

TICKET NUMBER........................................................................

AMOUNT WON............................................................................

BATCH Nº................REFERENCE Nº..........................................

OCCUPATION.............MARITAL STATUS..................................

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..............

(YOUR FULL NAMES) .....................................................................

Once Again Congratulations!



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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam