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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "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.
  • +447011129231 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: 021 COURIER SERVICES LIMITED <info_021courierservices@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Mon, 18 Dec 2006 10:02:46 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: 021 Courier Services Ltd delivery::::REPLY ASAP



16th December, 2006
021 Courier Services Ltd delivery:
Order number is CVEL/OWN/9876.
PARCEL RECIEVED/COURIER CHARGES

Dear Customer (Solvig Jaeg),

Thanks for your email enquiry. Your e-mail address was attached to winning number 20-12DEC-2005-02MSW, with serial number S/N-00168 drew the lucky numbers 887-13-865-37-10-83, and consequently won in the first lottery category. All participants were selected through the microsoft computer ballot system drawn form 21,000 names.3,000 names from each continent, as part of International "E-MAIL" Promotions Program, which is conducted annually for our prominent MS WORD user all over the world, and for the continues use of E-mail. I therefore see no reason why you are nto certain about the fact that your personal email address won you the sum of 5,500,000.00 GBP (FIVE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND POUNDS STERLING).

All that will be required to do is to choose from the various payment options previously sent to you the one that best suits your financial status so that details of how payment can be made will be sent to you. Immediately payment is confirmed by the officer incharge we will go ahead and despatch your parcel containing your winning cheque to you. There are no European banking laws of any kind.

However, if you are not interested in completing the final process in having your winning cheque delivered to you, please you are to notify us in your next mail so that a dis-claimer attestation form can be sent to you, which will act as a binding between us for your winnings to be returned to The Microsoft Word Lottery Board for the upcoming draw and it will be marked as "unclaimed by winner". On the other hand, if you still want to claim your prize you are to act fast because we will be going on Christmas holidays pretty soon.

Note: You are to keep your ref. number and batch number from the public, until your winnings have been processed and your money remitted to your account in your country.

Regards,
David Smith
Customer Services
021 Courier Services Ltd
Address: 87 Hydepark Street
Finnieston Glasgow G3 8BW
Tel : +447011129231
Fax: +448704901254

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© 021 Courier Services Ltd 2006 the ® 021 logo is a regd trade mark of 021 courier services Ltd.
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam