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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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "yahoo lottery inc" (no such lottery exists)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "greater london" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "hundred thousand u.s dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • "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. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. )
• 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.
  • +447024054692 (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.
  • rev_larrylee@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "YAHOO BETA AWARD LOTTO LOTTERY INC" <lottoincfree01@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 7 May 2007 04:12:07 -0700
Subject: YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS HAS WON $300,000.US DOLLARS FOR NEW YAHOO BETA AWARD LOTTERY.


YAHOO LOTTERY INCORPORATED
REGIONAL OFFICE:
BALEY HOUSE,HAROLD ROAD
SUTTON,GREATER LONDON
SM1 4TE,UNITED KINGDOM.

DEAR WINNER

CONGRATULATION !!!!

This is to inform you that you have won a prize money of THREE HUNDRED
THOUSAND U.S DOLLARS ($300,000.00) 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 THREE (3) 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 UNITED
KINGDOM due to we have 2 lucky winners in United Kingdom so that you
can be cleared and paid simultaneously there. You are to contact our
United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom agent's Location file,
you are requested to contact him and send your Identification Numbers and
Personal Information to him;

Rev. Larry Lee at his email:
E-mail:rev_larrylee@hotmail.com
Phone: +44-702-405-4692


You are therefore advised to send the following information to him to
acilitate 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.


CONGRATULATE YOU ONCE AGAIN!!!!

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam