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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash)
• 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.
  • +447011129840 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: "MR. POWELL" <mrpowell_claimsagent@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 2 Mar 2007 11:07:59 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: VERIFICATION FORM (FILL AND RETURN).






THE UK NATIONAL LOTTERY SERVICE















P O Box 1010 Liverpool, L70
1NL UNITED KINGDOM
(Customer's Service Center)
Ref Number: UK/9420X2/68
Batch Number: 074/05/ZY369


PROCESSING ADVICE:

Congratulations once more from the Board of the U.K National Lottery.

Like you have been informed that you been approved to claim a total sum of £1,000,000(One million pounds sterling) in cash credited to file KTU/9023118308/03. This is from a total cash prize of £5,000,000 shared amongst the five (5) lucky winners in this category i.e. Match 6. All participants for the online version were selected randomly from World Wide Web sites through computer draw system and extracted from over 100,000 unions, associations, and corporate bodies that are listed online. This promotion takes place weekly. Please note that your lucky winning number falls within our European booklet representative office in Europe.

In view of this, you have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of £1,000,000(One million pounds sterling) which would be released to you as soon as you have been cleared and screened. For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information confidential till your claims is processed and your money remitted to you in whatever manner you deem fit to claim your prize. This is part of our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program. Please be warned. To file for your claim, please fill and return the verification form below. This will be used for screening and cleareance;

FULL NAMES OF BENEFICIARY:........................

CONTACT ADDRESS:..................................

CITY/STATE:.......................................

COUNTRY:..........................................

NATIONALITY:......................................

SEX:.......................AGE:...................

MARITAL STATUS...................................

OCCUPATION........................................................

TEL NO:...........................................

NEXT OF KIN:......................................

AMOUNT WON:.......................................

REFENCE NO:................BATCH NO:..............

LUCKY NO:..................TICKET NO..............

SERIAL NO:.................LOTTERY DATE:..........


Fill and return this form as soon as possible via mail or via the fax number found below.

On returning your verification form, you have to let me know whether you will come over to our office here in U.K or whether you want your cheque and your winning document to be delivered to you via courier.

Yours faithfully,
MR. POWELL D. LAWRENCE.
Tel: +447011129840
Fax: +448704711019.



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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam