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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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• 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:
  • "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!
• 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.
  • +447939239901
  • +448712565008 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: greg thomans <gregclaims2@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2007 03:13:04 +0800 (CST)
Subject: urgent:fill the form and send back to me


Dear Lucky Winner,
We wish to congratulate you and formally inform you that, you have won
the sum of $3,500,000.00 (Three Million, Five Hundred Thousand, United
States Dollars) in the last email-lottery draw, organized by ELECTRONIK
LOTTERY.
We have confirmed the above winning.
You should note that your email address in addition to millions of
company and individual email were extracted with a software and the
addresses were scrutinized with a ballot system and after the processes,30
email addresses were selected and they were shared into 3 categories
respectively and which a winner in the 2nd category of $3.5m.
The payment has been approved and a reconfirmation letter has just been
sent to our head office in the Netherlands, to enable them effect
payment from our paying bank.
The said sum is now deposited in our suspense account in your favor
waiting for the immediate remittance into your nominated bank account.
Be informed that your winning prize has a hardcover insurance policy
that makes it impossible to make any deduction of any kind, until the sum is finally credited into your designated account.
However, our client (ELECTRONIK LOTTERY) has been notified of this
development and the status of your claim.
Below are the steps you will be following:
1. Furnish us with the details stated below:
a) YOUR NAME: ------------------------------------------------
b) YOUR ADDRESS: ---------------------------------------------
c) YOUR TELEPHONE/FAX NUMBER: ------------------------------------
d) YOUR DATE OF BIRTH: --------------------------------------
e) YOUR MARITAL STATUS: --------------------------------------
f) YOUR OCCUPATION: -------------------------------------------
g) YOUR COUNTRY: ----------------------------------------------
h) YOUR WINNING TICKET NUMBER: --------------------------------
For further clarification and assistance you are to call on MR.Greg Thomas +447939-2399-01

Regards,
Precious White
Tel: +44 793 923 9901
Fax: +44 871 256 5008


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam