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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
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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 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.
  • customercare_woolwichbank@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: UK NATIONAL LOTTERY DEPARTMENT <claims_larryhookukonlineagent55@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Sat, 17 Mar 2007 18:55:45 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: CONTACT OUR TRANSFERING BANK


The National Lottery
P O Box 1010
Liverpool, L70 1NL
UNITED KINGDOM
(Customer Services)
Ref No: UKON-5464K2/71
Batch Number: AT-040SB06-03

ATTENTION:James R, Beeman,

CONGRATULATIONS!This is to inform you that you have been cleared a winner of the UK NATIONAL LOTTERY online Sweepstakes International program.

However you are to contact our transfering bank for delivery.
below is thier contact informtion:

ADDRESS OF HEAD OFFICE:
WOOL WICH BANK PLC
9 GLOZA LANE,HANTON BUILDING,
LONDON,ENGLAND.
NAME:MR JOHN CLERIC(Director)

EMAIL:customercare_woolwichbank@yahoo.co.uk

You are advised to send our transfering bank a mail to their email address for their comfirmation.

When contacting them,you are to include this your winning amount as your subject.your batch number,reference number and order number.

NOTE:Ensure to always keep me your claims agent informed about your dealings with our transfering bank.

Thanks for your understanding.

Best Regard

Mr Larry Hook
(CLAIMS AGENT).


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam