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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:
  • "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.
  • +447014218813 (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.
  • uklotteryagent_fidutiary@yahoo.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: mlkchclt@mchsi.com (Award Remittance Department)
Date: Sun, 04 Mar 2007 16:22:15 +0000
Subject: DEAR WINNER!(CONTACT MR. WELL PAULSON TO HELP FACILITATE YOUR CLAIM)

Uk National Lottery Headquarters:
Customer Service
17-19 cole Street,
baines Middlesex TW18 4TP
United Kingdom.
Ref: UK/7146x4/99
Batch: 042/02xa192
www.national-lottery.co.uk/player/p/results/results.do

We happily announce to you the Draw 1168 of the UK NATIONAL
LOTTERY,online Sweepstakes International program held on 03rd of
march 2007.Your e-mail address attached to ticket number:
023-1111-790-458 with Serial number 5073-12 drew the lucky
numbers:01-05-11-19-28-36 and a bonus number of 38 with this lucky
number subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd category.(bonus
no.43).You havetherefore been approved to claim a total sum of
£600.000. ( Six Hundred ThousandGREAT BRITIAN POUNDS STERLING.)in cash
credited to file KTU/9023118308/03.

This year's Lottery Program Jackpot is the 5th largest ever in the
history of Europe Sweepstakes. 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.

In view of this, your £600.000.( Six Hundred Thousand GREAT BRITIAN
POUNDS STERLING.)would be released to you by any of our payment offices
in Europe.Our European agent will immediately commence the process to
facilitate the release of your funds as soon as you contact him.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.

To file for your claim, please contact our fiduciary.
Overseas Claims Unit
United Kingdom Lottery Fiduciary
Contact Person: Mr. Well Paulson
Email:uklotteryagent_fidutiary@yahoo.co.uk
Tel : +44-701-421-8813 Fax: +44-702-093-5734

Please forward the information below to your Claims Agent.
==========================================================
[FULLNAME OF WINNER]................[CURRENTADDRESS].......
[COUNTRY/REGION]...... ............[STATE/PROVINCE]........
[AGE].......................... ...[SEX]...................
[MARTIALSTATUS].....................[OCCUPATION]...........
[CURRENTEMAIL]......................[TEL/FAX] .............
-------------------------------------------------
ENTRY WINNING INFORMATION
-------------------------------------------------
[ENTRYTICKET NR]....................
[DRAWDATE].. .......................
CLAIMANTSIGNATORY DECLARATION
====================================

Yours Sincerely,
Mrs.Joanne Chandler
Uk lotto Co-ordinator.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam