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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
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "into your nominated bank account" (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)
• 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!

Fraud email example:

From: claim department01 <claim_department123@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2007 09:27:41 +0100 (BST)
Subject: Claim processing form


FROM THE DESK OF THE PROCESSING OFFICER=20
SPONSOR BING LOTTERIJ INTER.
Bezoekadres:=20
Laan van Hoornwijck 55
=20
Postadres:
Postbus 3074=20
2280 GB Rijswijk

Attn; =20

Sequel to the pending,we are please to inform you that
we have received the winning information sent to this
office. After due verification of the winning numbers
from our central computer.You are hereby emerged as
one of the on-line winner as the 2ND category and
therefore attracted a cash award pay out of
US$750,000.00 euro (Seven hundred And Fifty Thousand
Dollars Only).
=20
Carefully Print and fill out the=C2 payment scheme form
appropriately fill in the column provided in form to
facilitate our immediate commencement for data
reconfirmation and validation by our company legal
department.=20

IMPORTANT NOTICE!!!=20
=20
The complete claim form should be send back to this
office by email attachment or by fax.=20

Upon the completion of the claim file, your file will
be forwarded to the paying bank where your winning
funds is deposited in your favor.The bank will contact
you with your information received from this office
to arrange the remittance of your lottery funds into
your nominated bank account.
=20
Be inform that you need to complete this exercise
within the next Five working days to transfer your
prize award into your bank account.

We hope to receive your urgent response.

Best Regards,
Mr. Paul Smith.
MANAGER SPONSOR BINGO LOTTERIJ INTER.=20
PRIZE CLAIM DEPARTMENT.



___________________________________________________________=20
Yahoo! Mail is the world's favourite email. Don't settle for less, sign u=
p for
your free account today http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/evt=3D44106/*http://uk.doc=
s.yahoo.com/mail/winter07.html=20

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam