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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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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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")
• 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 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.
  • agentkaties_uklotterypromot2lt@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "2007 LOTTERY PROMOTION" <jenni@reedtribe.org>
Reply-To: winer2007@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 24 Jan 2007 16:45:40 -0800
Subject: CONGRATULATION YOU HAVE ===WON

Congratulations!!!
from the awards department and the entire lottery
board of the FREE LOTTO SWEEPSTAKES INTERNATIONAL as we kindly bring
toyour notice our end of year lottery promotion programme launched on
the internet on 25 January 2007.

Your email address won the lottery with the ticket number Ref No:
MELI-T/ 17-F044262312 and this made you a winner of the sum of
£500.000.00(G.B.P) which is equivalent to $917,956.00 USD.

However in other to process your claims you are required to fill the
processing form below and send it through mail to your claims agent in
the person of

Mr. jude Poul
Email address: agentkaties_uklotterypromot2lt@yahoo.co.uk
You are automatically disqualified if you are below 18 years of
age.
If you are not the intended recipient, you are notified that
anydissemination,distribution or copying of this communication is
strictly
prohibited.
Sincerely,
George SMITH
ON LINE COORDINATOR

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam