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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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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:
  • "from: the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "your urgent reply" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "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. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
• 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: Heritage Lottery Funds 2007 <contact_claimsagent012@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2007 09:55:05 +0100 (BST)
Subject: ATTN: WINNERS VERIFICATION FORM.


HERITAGE LOTTERY FUNDS PROMOTIONS.
406 BURY NEW ROAD,WHITEFIELD,MANCHESTER M45 7SX,
UNITED KINGDOM.

FROM: THE DESK OF THE DIRECTOR PROMOTIONS,
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT,
REF NO: MELI-T/17-F044262312.

Dear Prize Winner,

Thank your for your mail. Addresses of individuals and companies from America, Asia, Africa, Australia, Canada,Europe, Middle East, and New Zealand as part of our International Promotions Program .

HERITAGE UNIVERSAL PROMOTIONS is launching its model computer balloting lottery draws,developed and designed to satisfy the cravings of the evergrowing number of participants in our various lottery programs. This is a promotional draw which officially launches the new system. With funds accrued exclusively from previous draws, payouts to all winners are guaranteed and will be transferred in record time. After randomly selecting 15,000 participants from an initial database of 40,000 emails and zoning all participants by their respective continents from across the globe, we produced an extensive list from which you have emerged as one of the winners of the Promotional Grand Draw prize. As a third category winner, you are entitled to £850,000.00 (EIGHT HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND POUNDS STERLING ONLY).

NO TICKETS ARE PURCHASED! Winners are randomly selected systematically online by City code and email entry only; an Electronic Random Selection System (ERSS) used by HERITAGE LOTTERY FUNDS PROMOTIONS generates selections of winners. From a total of fourty thousand email addresses and 200 world cities codes entered for HERITAGE LOTTERY FUNDS PROMOTIONS 3RD CATEGORY PRIZE GROUP, Your email entered for draw Email ticket number: 901-0148-790-691 and was luckily selected among 3 lucky winners in your category. In view of this, your £850,000.00 (EIGHT HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND POUNDS STERLING ONLY). would be released to you by any of our payment office in MANCHESTER. Our claims-processing officer will immediately commence the process to facilitate the release of your funds as soon as you contact him. For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information confidential your claim is processed and your money remitted to you in whatever manner you deem fit to claim
your prize. This is part of our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program.

This correspondence officially confirms that we are in receipt of instructions relating to the payment of you lottery winnings. Please complete the form below with correct information and email back to us with a return email.Looking forward to your urgent reply.

PAYMENT AND RELEASE ORDER FORM
THIS FORM SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY THE BENEFICIARY OF THE STATED FUND, FOR VERIFICATION BEFORE TRANSFER.

BENEFICIARY FIRST NAME...........................
RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS.......................................................
PLACE OF BIRTH..................................................................
TEL. NUMBER................FAX NUMBER.....................................
EMAIL ADDRESS...................................................................
NEXT OF KIN NAME AND ADDRESS................................................................................................................
TICKET NUMBER........................................................................
AMOUNT WON............................................................................
BATCH Nº................REFERENCE Nº..........................................
OCCUPATION.............MARITAL STATUS..................................
LOTTERY DATE ................................
CLAIMANT SIGNATURE.........................

Please indicate "X" for the option you want your prize remitted to you.
Listed are the options of receiving prize payment.

1) CERTIFIED CHEQUE MADE OUT IN YOUR NAME COURIED TO YOU VIA OUR AFFILIATE COURIER COMPANY[....]

2)TRAVELLING TO THE UK ( LONDON ) FOR CASH COLLECTION (Send Flight
Itinerary To Confirm Your Arrival/Appointment Date) [....]

3)SWIFT BANK TRANSFER(through our correspondence bankers)[....]

I...............HEREBY DECLARE THAT THE ABOVE DATA ARE TRUE. IN CASE OF ANY UNFORSEEN CIRCUSTANCE, MY NEXT OF KIN HAS THE RIGHT TO CLAIM MY TOTAL WINNINGS.(SUPER STANDARD AGENT) SHALL ACT AS MY AGENT IN FACILITATING THE TRANSFER OF THE TOTAL FUND TO ME. DATE..............
(YOUR FULL NAMES).....................................................................

Once Again Congratulations!!!

Best Regards
Mr Graham Cole,
(Lottery Claims Processing Officer).


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam