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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!
  
• How to report 419 spam to us
• 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:
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "chambers" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "abuja" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• 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!
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.
• 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.
  • +2348022785705 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: claims agent <claimsagent_morris01@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2007 04:33:53 +0100 (BST)
Subject: Claim Procedures



Dear Rosston Duerrstein ,

I had been directed to release your payment check to you as soon as possible, immediately I receive your email. Our Delivery officer would be delivering your check to you through UPS to your Respective city or locations in your Country.
We would need
• Your full name.
• Your age.
• Phone number.
• Occupation.
• Postal address.
• UPS Delivery Fee of $195 Dollars.

Send the delivery fees through Western Union Money Transfer, to my secretary Mr Igbinerediawa Omosefe , ADDRESS: BARRISTER BRIGHT LUKE AND SONS’ CHAMBERS, ABUJA, NIGERIA.

And after payment you are to send this informations below
(1) Receiver Name:
(2) Sender Name :
(3) Sender Address:
(4) Test Question:
(5) Answer:
(6) Amount Sent:
(7) M T C N Number

This will enable the courier company(UPS) send you the winner certificate and the check.
I congratulate you as one of the Microsoft Anniversary sweepstakes lottery winner.
N.B: Your winner's Award certificate would be sent with your Check.
Without the winner's certificate presented at your local bank, you won't be able to claim the money and it might causes a lot of delay as this is a crossed check. You can receive the money any country in the world. Please call me as soon as you receive this mail.
Thanks for your cooperation. Note, it is not possible for me to deduct the UPS fee from your winning check.because it has been issued and sent to me by the general overseer Mrs Kate Watters, in conjunction with the A.B.N AMRO Bank financial. In this case , you are require to pay this fee to get your winning check within five working days.
Please note that on no condition or circumstance must you reveal your winning ticket number to any one for this organization shall not by in anyway be held responsible for double claiming.You have to keep your winning information secret until you are done.you can also call to confirm if this is a scam or not with the number below.once again congratulation,
Await your swift response towards making your fast payment to enable the UPS courier service deliver your parcel in not less than 48hours as soon as you make your payment.

Thanks,
Barr Bright Luke
Phone , +234802 2785 705



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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam