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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:

• 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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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!
• 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.
  • david_palmer8uk@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr David Palmer" <jenni@reedtribe.org>
Reply-To: david_palmer8uk@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2007 15:12:06 +0000
Subject: CONFIDENTIALITY REQUIRED.....(PROPOSAL) !!

Dear friend,
I have an urgent and very confidential business proposition for you,
that will be of great benefit for both of us, I will give you good update
as regards this transaction as soon as you signify interest. I hope to read
>from you, thank you.
Awaiting your urgent reply via my email address:
david_palmer8uk@yahoo.co.uk
BRITISH NATIONAL LOTTERY ONLINE GAME 2007
The Marina Offices, St Peters Yacht Basin,
Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 1HX
England
(Customer Services)

Batch: 14/211/0374
Ref: BTL/311OXI/02

WINNING NOTIFICATION
We happily announce to you the draw of the British lottery programs
programs held on the 22th of Janaury 2007 in London, Your e-mail address
attached, to ticket number: 694 75600545 721 with Serial number: 886/04
drew the lucky numbers:01-6-2-13-35-17, which subsequently won you the
lottery in the 2nd category.You are therefore, been approved to claim a
total sum of GBP 500,000.00( Five hundred thousand, pounds sterlings)
in cash credited to file RPC/9080115322/44. This is from a total cash
prize of GBP 125 million pounds sterlings.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam