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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:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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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.

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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 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.
  • ag_grspencer@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: michael ronin <gary_ronin_2009@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <ag_spencer@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 15 May 2007 23:16:10 -0400
Subject: Annual prize edition


Ref: BTL/491OXI/04Batch: 12/25/0304
ATTENTION.
Good day, we announce to you the draw of our programsheld on the 10th of MAY 2007 in London. Your e-mail address withserial number 5388/02 drew the lucky numbers: 31-6-26-13-35-7,which subsequently won you the sweepstake in the 2nd category.
You have been approved to claim a total sum of £2,500,000.00(Two million, five hundred thousand, Great Britain Pounds)in cash credited to file RPC/9080118308/04 made availablefrom a total cash prize of £125 Million Pounds.
Please note that your lucky number fallswithin our booklet representative office in Europe asindicated in our play coupon. In view of this, your2,500,000.00 (Two million, five hundred thousand, Great Britain Pounds) would be released toyou by our affiliate bank in London as soon as you establish contact.
To file for your claim, contact our fiduciary agent via the belowdetails;AGENT:Gary SpencerEmail:ag_grspencer@hotmail.com
Faithfully,
Michael Ronin, Esq.Zone Co-ordinator.
_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam