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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:
  • "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash)
• 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.
  • +2348051081908 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • revlarryibe@hotmail.com
  • rev_larryibe@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "YAHOO LOTTERY!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!" <edbinlotooiiii@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2007 13:14:49 +0100
Subject: Yahoo! International Lottery (Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you won!)

This is to inform you that you have won a prize money of  ONE MILLION  U.S DOLLARS ($1,000,000.00) in the YEAR 2007 YAHOO! Lottery  promotion which is organized by YAHOO! LOTTERY INC for the introduction and Launching of the new YAHOO! BETA MAIL which all YAHOO! subscribers are required to switch to. YAHOO! & MICROSOFT WINDOWS, arranged and gathered all the e-mail addresses of the people that are active online, among the millions that subscribe at YAHOO!, HOTMAIL and others, we only selected Five (5) candidates as our winners after undergoing the random selection process through Electronic Balloting System (E.B.S) without the candidate applied, we congratulate you for being one of the people selected.                                        PAYMENT OF PRIZE AND CLAIM We are sorry that your Payment Approval File was sent to NIGERIA due to we have Branch Office in  AFRICA so that you can be cleared and paid simultaneously there. You are to contact our  Regional Location Claim Agent on or before your date of Claim.   YAHOO! Beta Lottery Prize must be claimed not later than 14 days from date of Draw Notification  in which Prize has been won.   Note: Any prize not claimed within this period 14 days) will be forfeited.   IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS: Batch number.....................YBM-EBS-390AF Reff number........................YBM-EBS-719AF Winning number...............YBM-EBS-798AF These numbers above fall within the Nigeria agent's Location file, you are requested to contact him and send your Identification Numbers and Personal Information to him;   Rev. Larry Ibe at his email: E-mail:revlarryibe@hotmail.com E-mail:rev_larryibe@hotmail.com Phone: +234-805-108-1908   You are therefore advised to send the following information to him to facilitate them and process the transfer of your fund with the appointed paying bank.   Send your Identification Numbers/Your Personal Information to him so that he will proceed further for your prize claim immediately:   PERSONAL INFORMATION 1. Full name.................. 2. Nationality.................... 3. Contact Address...... 4. Telephone Number.. 5. Marital Status......... 6. Occupation.............. 7. Age.......................... 8. Sex...........................

We hope you're enjoying your new Yahoo! Mail account. Now take the next step and claim your money and say thanks to Yahoo! You select how to transfer the prize money to you         Cheque Delivery To Your Address Bank Account Transfer           KEEP THIS PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL UNTIL YOU RECEIVE YOUR PRIZE MONEY.   NOTE THAT NOBODY OR EVEN THE APPOINTED BANK HAS THE RIGHT TO TOUCH, DEDUCT/CUT OR GET ACCESS TO YOUR PRIZE MONEY FOR ANY REASON THEY HAVE BEEN WARNED STRICTLY!

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam