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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:
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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:
  • "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "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.
  • officeoftheeurolotteryaward001@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mrs.Jennifer Wilson." <infonotice@onlinedatas.com> (may be fake)
Date: Sat, 3 Feb 2007 05:43:33 +0100 (MET)
Subject: EURO LOTTERY DECEMBER RESULT (2006)


Pol.Lasao, Area Anardi
155, 28090 Madrid. Spain Branch.
Ref.# ESM/WIN/008/05/10/MA
Batch. N? EULO/2907/444/908/06.

We wish to congratulate you over your email success in our computer balloting sweepstake held on the 15th December 2006.
This is a millennium scientific computer game in which email addresses will be attached to lottery ticket.
It is a promotional program aimed at encouraging internet users;therefore you do not need to buy ticket to enter for it. Your email address was attached to ticket star number (45407) with serial number 51622 drew the EURO MILLION Lucky numbers 3-18-40-76 which consequently won the draw in the Second category. You have been approve for the star prize of $950,000.00 (Nine Hundred And Fifty Thousand dollars.Only)

Below is the claims agent's contact:
National Claim Agent,
Rev,Dr.Alfred Wonders.
Address: Avda .Del Petroleo 222 Polig
Madrid Spain.
E-mail:officeoftheeurolotteryaward001@yahoo.co.uk
Co-ordinator Euro Lottery,
Mrs.Jennifer Wilson.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam