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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:
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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:
  • "uk national lottery" (can only win this lottery if you bought a ticket)
• 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: "Harrold Halley" <harrold.h@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 20 Jul 2007 17:31:44 +0100
Subject: Re: YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT HAS JUST WON IN THE BRITISH UK LOTTERY


*BRITISH LOTTERY
The Lottery Company
P.O Box 789
Harrogate HG1 2YR.
*
Dear Mr.*Bauermann*
* *Sorry for the inconvinience,we have to verify that
you are the genuine winner that is why we will require you to fill this
form.

*VERIFICATION FORM*.
1.FULL NAMES:__________________________________
2.ADDRESS:_____________________________________
3.SEX:__________
4.AGE:__________
5.MARITAL STATUS:___________________
6.OCCUPATION:_______________________
7.E-MAIL ADDRESS:_____________________________
8.TELEPHONE NUMBER:__________________________
9.WINNING NUMBER:____________________________
12.AMOUNT WON:______________________
13.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF COMPANY/INDIVIDUAL_____
14. COUNTRY________________________________
CLAIMANT SIGNATORY DECLARATION
====================================

I,......................................HEREBY DECLARE THAT I HAVE
NEVER RECEIVED ANY FORM OF SETTLEMENT FROM THE UK. NATIONAL PROMO
NOR ANY MEMBER OF MY FAMILY. I, THEREFORE, DECLARE THAT THE UK.
NATIONAL
PROMO ACTS ON MY BEHALF IN THE PROCESSING AND TRANSFER OF MY PRIZE AS
INSTRUCTED BY ME.
Congratulations once again.
Regards,
Mrs.Kate Brown.
Online Co-ordinator for UK NATIONAL LOTTERY
Sweepstakes International Program

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam