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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:
  • "fiduciary 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.
  • +447024051022 (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.
  • infodesk_claims07@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: infocentre@comcast.net (Sir Phlilp Wright)
Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2007 09:44:51 +0000
Subject: Ref:UK/4910X1/04

FROM:UK NATIONAL LOTTERY,
2 LANSDOWNE ROW,BERKELEY SQUARE,
LONDON,W1J 6H,
UNITED KINGDOM.

WINNING NOTIFICATION

We happily announce to you the Draw (#494) of the UK
NATIONAL LOTTERY,online UK National Lottery program
held on 7/04/2007.
Your e-mail address attached to Ticket Number:
8603775966738 with Serial number 5368/02,Ref
no:UK/4910X1/04 drew the Winning Numbers:06-44-24-08-
19-29(bonus no.44),which subsequently won you the
lottery in the 1st category i.e match 25 plus bonus.

You have been approved to claim total sum of
£1,500,000 (One Million and five hundred Thousand
Pounds Stering) in cash.

This is from a total cash prize of £7,500,000 ,shared
amongst 5 Winners with different amount won in this
category.
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.

Your lucky winning number falls within our European
booklet representative office in Europe as indicated
in your play coupon.In view of this, your £1,500,000
will be released to you by our affilated bank here in UK.

Our Finance Department will immediately commence the
process to facilitate the release of your funds as
soon as you contact our Finance Department.

For security reasons, you are advised to keep your
winning information confidential till your claim is
processed and your money remitted to you in what ever
manner you deem fit to claim your prize.To file for
your claim,Please contact our Fiduciary Agent for
Processing of your winning .

*******************************************************
Fiduciary Agent: DR SMITH WALKER
CONTACT Email: infodesk_claims07@yahoo.co.uk
Phone Number: +44 702 405 1022
*******************************************************
Yours faithfully,
Sir Philips Wright
Online Coordinator for THE NATIONAL LOTTERY.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam