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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
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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:

• 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:
  • "affidavit of claim" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. )
  • "affidavit " (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "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!
• 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.
  • +447011147601 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
  • +448712562440 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
  • +447011141313 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
• 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.
  • hynes_couriernetxxpress@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Richard Scharf <pbl_rsh10@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2007 16:28:23 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re:Dear Prize Winner





POWERBALL LOTTO. BV
POWERBALL LOTTO - Wheel Email-Games 2007
PAYMENT VERIFICATION DEPARTMENT


Powerball House,
23 Broodford street,
Manchester L70 1NL
TEL: 44-701-114-1313; FAX: 44-871-251-8504
(Payment Release Department)

SERIAL NUMBER: S144-66584A
BATCH NUMBER: BT-4478474121P
REF NR: PBL/CN/6654/CP


Dear Winner ,


Good Day to you aver there. We have opened a file for your Winning processing,Please note that all details/ information provided by you will be duly noted.To avoid double claiming to your winnings,We have to attached a scan copy of your driver's license or a scan copy of your international passport and return via fax or email attachment so the proccessing and remmitance of your winning sum be carried out in the shortest possible time.

We are happy to inform you that your Original copy of your Certificate, Your affidavit of claims and your Certified bank cheque has been forwarded to our affiliate courier company. For due processing of your winnings, you are to contact the Courier Company with the below details;

COURIERNET EXPRESS LIMITED
1 Kingfisher Way
London NW10 8TF
Mr. Michael Hynes (dispatch officer)
Email:hynes_couriernetxxpress@yahoo.co.uk
TEL: +44-701-114-7601
FAX:+44-871-256-2440

You are adviced to send to the courier company a mail to the above email address for the remmittance of your winning prize to the payment centre or your Destination. They will notify you of the delivery renumerations and notify you of the delivery date.To avoid double claiming to your winnings,you are to include this order number as your subject.Please you are adviced to write down the order number and save it.


ORDER NUMBER: MS231287

Note: you are to Quote your complete names,ORDER REFERAL ID/Your Winning Ticket Numbers,Your Contact Address, your direct phone/fax number and a scan copy of you passport so that courier firm can honour your letter and do keep us updated with your communications with the courier company. We trust that with your winnings will touch someone's life as we encourage charity donations to less privileged ones.

Good luck from me and other members of the British Lottery Body INTERNATIONAL.

Regards,
Mr. Richard Peters.

-------------------------------------------------------

This email and its attachments are confidential and intended for the exclusive use of the addressee(s).This email and its attachments may also be privileged or protected by legal rules. If you have received this by mistake please let us know by reply immediately and destroy the email and its attachments without reading, copying or forwarding the contents






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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam