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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:
  • "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 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.
  • +447024014140 (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.
  • info_agent016@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "MERCEDES-BENZ LOTTERY DEPARTMENT" <WEBDNXIEV401@prodigy.net>
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2007 14:57:34 -0800
Subject: CONGRATULATION!!

THE LOTTERY DEPARTMENT
MERCEDES-BENZ
22 Garden Close, Stamford,
Lincs, PE9 2YP, London
United Kingdom


OFFICIAL PRIZE NOTIFICATION

This is to inform you that you have been selected for
a cash prize of
£100,000.00 ( ONE Hundred Thousand Great British
Pounds) and a brand new
mercedes-benz Car , International programs held on
the January 5th
2007 in London The United Kingdom.
Description Of mercedes-bezs Car to be Shipped to
you.
BRAND:........................................Fift
Edition
MODEL:.......................................2007
Model
COLOUR:......................................Metallic
Blue
ENGINE TYPE:...........................2473cc 4-
cylinder
POWER:........................................245bhp
TRANSMISSIONS:.......................Adaptive
Automatic Transmission
FUEL:............................................49.1m
pg (combined The
selection process was carried out through random
selection in our
computerized email selection system(ess) from a
database of over 250,000
email addresses drawn from all the continents of the
world.

The Mercedes-Benz Car Promotional Lottery is
approved by the British
Gaming Board and also Licensed by the The
International Association of
Gaming Regulators (IAGR). This lottery is the 3rd of
its kind and we
intend to sensitize the public.

To begin the processing of your prize you are to
contact your claims
officer through our accredited Prize Transfer agents
and safely to your
destination world wide linkage stated below:
======================================================
==========
Mr. David Smith,
22 Garden Close, Stamford,
Lincs, PE9 2YP, London
United Kingdom

Email: info_agent016@yahoo.co.uk
Phone Number Tel: +447024014140

contact him, please provide him with your secret pin
code x7pwyz2006
and your reference number VM:12052006/21. You are
also advised to
provide him with the under listed information as soon
as possible:


Claims Requirements:

1.Name in full----------------------------------------
-----------------------
2.Address---------------------------------------------
-----------------------
3.Sex-------------------------------------------------
--------------------------
4.Nationality-----------------------------------------
-------------------------
5.Maritual Status-------------------------------------
----------------------
6. Age------------------------------------------------
--------------------------
7.Next Of Kin-----------------------------------------
------------------------
8.Occupation------------------------------------------
----------------------
9.Phone/Fax-------------------------------------------
-----------------------
10.Present Country------------------------------------
--------------------
======================================================
============

If you do not contact your claims agent within 7
working days of this
notification, your winnings would be revoked. Winners
are advised to
keep their winning details/information from the
public to avoid
fraudulent claim (IMPORTANT)pending the
transfer/claim by Winner.

*Winner under the age of 18 are automatically
disqualified.
*Staff of the mercedes benz Company are not to
partake in this Car
Promotional Lottery.


Accept my hearty congratulations once again!
With Best Regards

Mr Henry Hills
Lottery Manager.





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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam