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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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• 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:
  • "fiduciary 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.
  • uk8_claimagent@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "UK ONLINE WINNERS" <jenni@reedtribe.org>
Reply-To: uk8_claimagent@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2007 12:35:47 -0800
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Dear Winner,

We happily announce to you the results of draw of the UK NATIONAL
Online Sweepstakes International program held on 27th of January,
2007.
It is yet to be unclaimed and you are getting the FINAL NOTIFICATION as
regards this, You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of
£250,000 (Two hundred and fifty thousand pounds sterlings) in cash credited
to file KTU/9023118308/03.
This is from a total cash prize of £1,000,000 shared amongst the first four(5)lucky
winners in this category i.e Match 5 plus bonus.
PROCEDURES FOR CLAIMS: NON UK RESIDENT WINNERS ARE HOWEVER REQUESTED TO
CONTACT THE FIDUCIARY AGENT ATTACHED TO DRAW ASAP UK LOTTERY{CLAIMS
DEPT}
FIDUCIARY AGENT: Mr John Williams
EMAIL:uk8_claimagent@yahoo.co.uk
VERIFICATION FORM:
TO AUTHENTICATE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS FROM YOUR WEBMAIL PROVIDER AND
RECORD PURPOSES,WE DO REQUIRE YOU TO SEND THESE INFORMATION TO US ASAP.
FULL NAME.
WINNING E-MAIL
FULL ADDRESS:
SEX:
AGE
OCCUPATION..
TEL.
COUNTRY
Thank you for being part of our online promotional lottery program.
Yours Truly,
Mr Gillian Morgan
Co-Coordinator


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam