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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "greater london" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
• 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.
  • +447024026695 (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.
  • @yahoo.co.uk
  • stephenandern@myway.com

Fraud email example:

From: "SMITH ANTHONY" <smithanthony8@hotmail.co.uk>
Date: Mon, 09 Apr 2007 17:24:41 +0000
Subject: YAHOO LOTTERY WINNING NOTIFICATION!!!

You won $800.000.00! Yahoo! Mail congratulates you!                               Messenger     CONGRATULATIONS! YOU WON $800.000.00! THE YAHOO/Msn/Aol/GOOGLE/Web LOTTERY INTERNATIONAL. INC Barley House Harold Road Sutton, Greater London Sm1 4te United Kingdom.  Dear, Sir/Madam                   YAHOO LOTTERY WINNING NOTIFICATION We happily announce to you the draw of the Yahoo Lottery Intl Inc programs held on the wednesday 5th of April 2007  in London. Your e-mail address attached to ticket number: 56475600545 188 with Serial number 5388/02 drew the lucky numbers: 31-6-2613357, which subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd category. You are therefore, been approved to claim a total sum of U.S $800,000.00  for the month of 2 April 2007 lottery win promotion which is organized by Google & YAHOO LOTTORY INTL INC .Every month.   Your winning fall in Europe! Please note that your lucky winning number falls within our European booklet representative office in United Kingdom as indicated in this  notice. In view of this, your U.S $800.000.00   would be released to you by any of our payment offices in United Kingdom. Our agent zoned for European paying bank will immediately commence the process to facilitate the release of your funds as soon as you contact him. YAHOO, collects all the E MAIL I D of the people that subscribes to yahoomail, msn, hotmail, aol, altavista, and others online, among the billions that subscribe to us only five people will be merge for winnings we only select five people every Month as our winners through electronic balloting System without the winner applying, we are congratulating you for having been one of the lucky people that won for this month.. PAYMENT OF PRIZE AND CLAIM you are to contact your Claims Agent on or before your date of Claim, Winners shall be paid in accordance with his/her Settlement Centre. Yahoo Lottery Prize must be claimed not later than 15 days from date of Draw Notification after the Draw date in which Prize has won. Any prize not claimed within this period will be forfeited and retrieved. To file for your claim send identification and details of claim to: Oversea Payment and Release Order Department OSA CLAIMS PROCESSING LOTTERY AGENT Contact person: Dr. Stephen Anderson. ( winners dirctorate office )          E-mail: stephenandern@yahoo.co.uk                           stephenandern@myway.com Phone: +44-702-402-6695     These numbers are your winning identification numbers, which you will send to your claims agent. Serial number 5388/02 Draw lucky numbers: 31-6-2613357 Ticket number: 56475600545 188 Batch number.....................Lwh 09102 Lotto number.......................Lwh35447 Winning number...................Lwh09788   You are therefore advise to quote the following information to the Clams Agent as to facilitate the  processing  of your won amount and transfer of your fund without delay. more-so do well to fill the form below:     NOTE: YOU ARE STRONGLY ADVISED TO KEEP ALL YOUR WINNING AND WINNING DETAILS CONFIDENTIAL TILL CLAIM IS MADE TO AVOID WRONG CLAIMING.ANY BREACH OF CONFIDENCIAL DISQULIFIES YOU FROM GETTING YOUR PRIZE. Congratulations once more!! Yours Sincerely,   Dr. Smith Anthony (PHD) LOTTO CO-ORDINATOR. The Yahoo.com staff Yahoo.com http://www.yahoo.com                   VERIFICATION AND CLERANCE FORM     1.FULL NAMES:__________________________________                                         2.ADDRESS:_____________________________________________                   3.SEX:_______________ 4.AGE:________                5.MARITAL STATUS:___________________                         6.OCCUPATION:________________________                       7.E-MAIL ADDRESS:_____________________________ 8.TELEPHONE NUMBER:_____________________            9.BATCH NUMBER:____________________ _____________   10.LOTTO NUMBER:                                                                                          _   11.WINNING NUMBER:                                                                                          12.DRAW LUCKY NUMBER:                                                                                   13.SERIAL NUMBER:                                                                                             14.TICKET NUMBER:                                                                                              15.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF COMPANY/INDIVIDUAL___________                                                                                 16.AMOUNT WON:___________________________________ ___________________________________________ 17. COUNTRY________________________________     CONGRATULATIONS!!! FROM YAHOO ONLINE LOTTERY BOARD.   *****************************DO NOT DELETE THIS MESSAGE***********NEVER SEND SPAM. IT IS BAD***************

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam