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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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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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "national lottery promotion" (no such lottery exists)
  • "uk national lottery" (can only win this lottery if you bought a ticket)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • ",000,000" (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)
  • "deadline" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "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.
  • +447031911122 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: David Wood <davidwoodf@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Sun, 1 Jul 2007 03:21:43 +0800 (CST)
Subject: REQUIRED INFORMATION TO EFFECT PAYMENT:


REQUIRED INFORMATION TO EFFECT PAYMENT:

Good day to you,
We acknowledge the receipt of your email.
It was your email address that won you this
international online lottery.

Congratulations from the members
of staff of the UK NATIONAL LOTTERY PROMOTION.

All participants were selected randomly from World Wide
Website through computer draw system and extracted from
over 100,000 companies as part of International Promotions
Program, which is conducted annually.
Your email address was attached to ticket number
023-0148-790-459, with serial number 5063-11 drew
the lucky numbers 43-11-44-37-10-43, and consequently
Won you the lottery in the 2nd category.

You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay
Of 500,000.00 British Pounds(GBP) in cash credited to file REF
NO. UKNL/26510460037/07. This is from total prize money
Of 2,000,000.00 British Pounds(GBP) shared among the four
International winners in this category.

Please note that your lucky winning number falls within
our European booklet representative office in Europe as indicated
in your play coupon. In view of this, your 500,000.00
British Pounds(GBP) would be released to you by our
preferred payment center in London.

This lottery is a conjoined effort of Microsoft
international and the United Nations under the
auspices of UK NATIONAL LOTTERY PROMOTIONS.

This lottery is aimed at promoting world peace and the
use of internet across the world. Participants were
drawn randomly from the internet upon which a raffle
draw was conducted and lucky winners emerged fortuitously.

To facilitate the swift procurement of your winning,
you are to fill out the required information and
return it within 24-72hrs.

This will enhance the verification and subsequent
approval of your payment. The deadline set for the
collection of winning is ebbing ever so close;
hence you are to act according to instruction
stated herein.It is imperative that you keep this
winning confidential and surreptitious to avoid
any other person from claiming your prize money.


UK NATIONAL LOTTERY reserves the right to decline
payment/transfer if irregularities occur. Please
note that this Verification process usually
takes between 24-72 hours, depending on how swiftly
you fill out and return the details below. Upon
completion of this Verification Process/Screening, you
would be contacted by us with further details on when
you shall be receiving your prize money.
requested information in the format
below:

PERSONAL INFORMATION

FIRST NAME============
LAST NAME=============
MARITAL STATUS========
AGE===================
SEX===================
COUNTRY===============
NATIONALITY===========
OCCUPATION============
ADDRESS===============
TELEPHONE NO==========
FAX NO================

NOTE: YOUR CHEQUE OF FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND POUNDS STERLING (500,000.00) WILL BE SENT TO YOUR PRESENT LOCATION THROUGH COURIER DELIVERY.
NOTE: IF YOU PREFER BANK WIRE TRANSFER, THEN YOU WILL HAVE TO CONTACT THE ATTORNEY WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR NOTARY DOCUMENT THAT WILL ENABLE THE BANK TO WIRE YOUR PRIZE MONEY TO YOUR BANK ACCOUNT IN YOUR COUNTRY.


Congratulations once more and have a nice day.


Regards,
Mr. DAVID WOOD.
#247 Edgware Road,
London W2 1EY
United Kingdom.
TEL: +447031911122
FAX: 0044 871 715 1331



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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam