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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:
  • "foreign service manager" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
• 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.
  • +447031958098 (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.
  • greglouisconsul@netscape.net (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Hot Lotto Inc. <hotlotto@infinito.it>
Date: Fri, 2 Mar 2007 23:17:09 +0100
Subject: Act Swiftly (Claim Prize)

The British Hotlotto Inc.(Claim Prize)
11 Claughton Firs, Prenton CH43 5TG
TICKET #:47483949912
REF NO: MSW/56B-672GH/L
BATCH: 4583JL/WIN

Sir/Madam,

Being officially assigned to select winners across the globe, the
management is pleased to inform you of the result of the Hot Lotto
E-mail programs held on the 4th February 2007 and result where release on the 28th February,2007. Your
E-mail address attached to BATCH: 4583JL/WIN, with REF No. MSW/56B-672GH/L.Drew lucky star
numbers 34-32-90-43-32 which consequently won in this category, you have therefore been approved
for a lump sum pay out of GBP1,500,000.00, with Winning number 23-76-06-54-42-100.

Due to mix up of some numbers and names, we ask that you keep your winning information confidential
until your claims has been processed and your money remitted to you. This is part of our security protocol
to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program by some participants. All participants
were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from over 100,000 company and 50,000,000
individual email addresses and names from all over the world.

This lottery was promoted and sponsored by Sotware Companies in order to enhance and promote the
use of Internet Explorer Users and Microsoft-wares around the globe.

To file for your claim, please contact our fiducial agent:
Mr Louis E. Greg
email:greglouisconsul@netscape.net
Tel:+44 703 195 8098
Fax:+44 709 287 2619
Foreign Service Manager

Congratulations once more from our members of staff and thank you for
being part of our promotional program.

Sincerely,
Mrs Caecilia Lloyd (Co-ordinator),
Hot Lotto Inc.UK

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam