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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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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:
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "claims director" (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.
  • mrdonaldgladstone@yahoo.dk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "YAHOO PROMOTIONS" <jenni@reedtribe.org>
Reply-To: mrsameliahuntslondon@yahoo.com.ar
Date: Sat, 13 Jan 2007 14:28:57 -0800
Subject: =?iso-8859-1?Q?REF=3AYAHOO6/315116127/27=20CONGRATULATIONS=20FROM=20YAHOO=20=28YOU=20HAVE=20WON=20=A3500=2C000=2E00=29?=


YAHOO PROMOTIONS

(Thanks for contributing to our Financial Success)

CONGRATULATIONS!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!

FROM: THE DESK OF THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER
INTERNATIONAL GRANTS/PRIZE AWARD DEPT
REF:YAHOO6/315116127/27
BATCH:15/623/UK.
Registered Lottery No 220949

CONGRATULATIONS!!!


Dear Esteemed Winner,

We are pleased to inform you of the result of the YAHOO! International
Promotions Program held on the 2nd of January 2007. Your e-mail address
attached to ticket number 883734657492-5319 with serial number
7263-267, batch number 8254297137 drew the 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)in cash credited to file REF:YAHOO6/315116127/27.
This is from total prize money of US$20,400,000.00 shared among the
seventeen international winners in this category.

Please note that this Promotional Programmes tagged "Thanks for
contributing to our financial Sucess" was sponsored and organized by
the Yahoo Corporation in view of the financial benefits YAHOO have
received from its numerous customers either through adverts, hosting
and personal emails.

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 received as a result of their patronage this
financial year.

The online draws was conducted by a random selection of email addresses
from an exclusive list of 29,031 e-mail addresses of individuals and
corporate bodies picked by an advanced automated random computer search
from the internet.

However, no tickets were sold but all email addresses were assigned to
different ticket numbers for representation and privacy.

Due to mix up of some numbers and names, we ask that you keep your
winning information confidential until your claims has been processed
and your money remitted to you. This is part of our security protocol
to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program by some
participants.

Our claims director will immediately commence the process to facilitate
the release of your funds as soon as you contact him or her. For
security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information
confidential till your claims 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.

CLAIMS PROCEDURES:
It is our standard practice to allocate accredited agents for the
processing of claims application. It is even more imperative for
oversea winners.

To begin your claims therefore, you are advised as a matter of urgency,
to contact the under listed licensed and accredited claims agent for
the processing of your prize awards winning.


Please contact your claims agent immediately, to begin your claims
process:

MR DONALD GLADSTONE
REMMITANCE DIRECTOR
YAHOO PROMOTIONS UK
44 Moorfields London EC2Y 9AL UNITED KINGDOM
Tel:(+44) 7031924017, (+44) 7031921214
Email: mrdonaldgladstone@yahoo.dk

You are to provide the assigned cliams agent via email with the under
listed information as soon as possible.

=====================================================================================================
APPLICATION FOR PRIZE CLAIM
(Receipt Official Notification Letter)

FULL NAMES*
CONTACT ADDRESS*
COUNTRY:*
SEX*
AGE*
MARITAL STATUS*
OCCUPATION*
NATIONALITY*
TELEPHONE NUMBER*
EMAIL ADDRESS*
HAVE YOU A PASSPORT OR LICENCE (identification on delivery)*
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 your 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 by our affiliate courier company FHX COURIER COMPANY here in
the UNITED KINGDOM [ ]


Once again on behalf of all our staff, CONGRATULATIONS!!!


CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Your Sincerely,
Mrs. Amelia Hunts
Online Promotions Manager
Uk Administrative Unit


N.B:
1. All claims are nullified after 20 working days from today.
2. Your Ref number must be in all your emails to the claims officer.
3. Do inform the claims officer of any change of names or addresses.
4. Please do not reply to this email. Contact your claims agent.
**********************************************************************

CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Note for security reason this email is strickly restricted from copy
writers and it should be highly confidential as it has to do with you
alone as the Yahoo Promotions Winner.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yahoo! Mail for International Users

Europe : Danmark - Germany - España - France - Greece - Italia -
Norge - Polska - Sverige - Turkey - UK/Ireland
Pacific Rim : Australia/NZ - China - Hong Kong - India - Indonesia -
Japan - Korea - Malaysia - Philippines - Singapore - Thailand - Taiwan
- Vietnam Americas : Argentina - Brasil - Canada - Mexico - in Chinese
- en Español - in Russian



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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam