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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:
  • "claims 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.
  • +447031924017 (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.
  • infomorganfreeman@yahoo.pl
  • morganfreeman@mail2webmaster.com

Fraud email example:

From: "Yahoo!" <jenni@reedtribe.org>
Reply-To: morganfreeman@mail2webmaster.com
Date: Sat, 6 Jan 2007 15:08:28 -0800
Subject: =?iso-8859-1?Q?NEW=20YEAR=20EMAIL=20PRIZE=20AWARD=20YOU=20WON=20YAHOO=20=A3500=2C000=2E00?=

YAHOO NEW YEAR PATRONAGE BONANZA
(Thanks for contributing to our Financial Success)

We are pleased to inform you of the result of the Yahoo End of the Year

Patronage Bonanza held on the 1/01/2007. Your e-mail address attached
to ticket number883734657492-5319 with serial number 7263-267, batch
number 8254297137, lottery ref number 7336065782 and drew lucky numbers

14-22-28-37-40-44 which consequently won in the 1st category, you have
therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of £500,000.00 (i.e
Five

Hundred Thousand United Kingdom Pounds).

The reason this lottery was organized is to thank the numerous public
including users and non-users of YAHOO MAIL for the financial benefits
THE YAHOO CORPORATION have recieved as a result of their Patronage this

Financial Year.

To file for your claims, please contact our remmitance director:

MR. MORGAN FREEMAN
REMMITANCE DIRECTOR
YAHOO PROMOTIONS UK
44 Moorfields London EC2Y 9AL UNITED KINGDOM
Email:infomorganfreeman@yahoo.pl, morganfreeman@mail2webmaster.com
Tel: (+44) 7031924017 (+44) 7031921214

For processing and remmitance of your winnings, you are required to
contact
our designated claims agent with the following underlisted
informations:


FULL NAMES*
CONTACT ADDRESS*
COUNTRY*
SEX*
AGE*
MARITAL STATUS*
OCCUPATION*
TELEPHONE NUMBER*
E-MAIL ADDRESS*
NATIONALITY*
TICKET NUMBER*
SERIAL NUMBER*
BATCH NUMBER*
REFERENCE NUMBER*

Please indicate "X" for the option you want your prize remitted to you.
Listed are the options of receiving prize payment.

1. Cash pickup in any of our payment offices in Europe [ ]

2.Certified cheque made out in your name couriered to you in your
country via our affiliate courier company FHX COURIER COMPANY here in the
UNITED KINGDOM [ ]

Congratulations From our members of Staffs.

Mrs. Amelia Hunts(This information is sent by Yahoo! through
jenni@reedribe.org)Yahoo Domain mail.reedtribe.org)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam