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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
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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "cost of mailing your draft" (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. )
  • "payment for the courier" (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. )
  • "vat (5%)" (VAT rate in the UK is 17.5%, check the math)
  • "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. )
  • "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: fastway courier <fastwaycourier_deliverydept001@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2007 01:50:56 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: FILL THE FORM AND CHOOSE A DELIVERY OPTION.


Attn: Reginhard Eber
We are in receipt of your last mail.You are to fill the form send to you by Mr.Mark Hall and choose a delivery option.You are to report back to us in the next 24hrs with your personal details and your delivery option.

Mr.Hillary James.
FAST WAY COURIER SERVICES



FAST WAY EAGLE COURIER SERVICES
Hambridge Lane, Newbury Berkshire RG14 5TU,
London, UNITED KINGDOM.
Reg Order No:T5627256
16th July, 2007


ATTENTION: Reginhard Eber,
This is to inform you that you have been officially cleared for payment by the Verifications Dept. at the headquarters of the UK LOTTERY .And the insurance company has approved your claims and stated their responsibility in case there is problem delivery your winnings to you.
The original copy of your certificate and your cheque from the European Government stating that the money was obtained legally through their Lotto Promotions will be sent to you and the bank as soon as you meet with any of the option selected and your winnings will be couriered or transferred to you immediately.
You can now begin the final step of the claims process, which is the transferring of your cash prize to you. With regards to this, there are three options open to you, you are required to select the most convenient of the three.
The options, together with their associated conditions are presented below:
Option 1:
FASTWAY SPECIAL DELIVERY(Overnight)
Mailing & bsp;....................... £1400.00
Insurance.............................£450.00
Vat (5%)..............................£150.75
TOTAL.................................£2000.75

Options 2:
Courier of your winning draft to you between two working days:
FASTWAY PREMIUM DELIVERY(2working days)
Mailing &n bsp;.......................£800.00
Insurance.............................£150.00
Vat (5%)..............................£50.00
TOTAL.................................£1000.00

Courier of your winning draft to you between seven (7) working days:
FASTWAY REGULAR DELIVERY(7working days)
Mailing ;.............................£400.00
Insurance.............................£150.00
Vat (5%)..............................£50.00
TOTAL.................................£600.00

You are to select the option that is best for you and get back to this office.

The insurance company declined payment for the courier, stating that it is against their professional policy towards ensuring the safe delivery of the draft to you. That if a reverse payment is made, and something goes wrong, that we/you cannot sue the courier company or insurance company to recover the full value of the fund as stipulated in the draft since payment for insurance cover was not made at point of mailing.With the above reason, reverse payment is ruled out.Forward the cost of mailing your draft with any of the courier channel cost you choose above to us.
Good luck and Congratulations once again. Please send your response within the next 48hrs to this same email address.

Respectfully,
Mr. HILLARY JAMES



Delivery Service
===============================================================

===============================================================
"Fastway Eagle Courier" is a registered and in affiliation with UK Lottery Company "
================================================================
This e-mail and any files transmitted with it are confidential and may be legally privileged and are solely for the individual or entity to whom they are addressed.

All business is transacted under our Standard Trading Terms and Conditions. All liability for viruses is excluded to the fullest extent permitted by law.


Mr.HILLARY JAMES
(THE FAST WAY EAGLE COURIER MANAGER)



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Boardwalk for $500? In 2007? Ha!
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam