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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 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)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "diplomatic agent" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
  • "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
• 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: CLAIMS DIRETOR <lotteryagent_claims007@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2007 12:40:56 +0100 (BST)
Subject: YOU ARE ADVICE TO FILL THE CLAIMS VERIFICATION FORM




Uk National Lottery Sweepstakes,
PO Box 42 Peter borough
PE3 8XH UNITED KINGDOM
Date:28-07-2007.(Customer Services)




ATTENTION:Winner

How are you and your family, we got your email, but please you are to provide us the following details to ensure that you are the real winner of the Uk National Lottery.N.B. Any breach of confidentiality on the part of the winners will result to disqualification. Please do not reply to this mail. Contact your claim agent.Follow-up Letter We are in receipt of your claims file, with Ticket Number:56475600545 188 and Batch No:901/00319/HLP Be informed that we have in our possession instruments of payment for the sum of 500,000.00GBP (Five Hundred Thousand Great British Pounds) to you. Please fill the attached form and send back by email.


FULLNAME:............................................
SEX:......................................................
ADDRESS:..............................................
COUNTRY:.............................................
FAX:.....................................................
PHONE NUMBER:......................................
OCCUPATION:........................................
COMPANY'S NAME:.................................
AGE:......................................................
INTERNATIONAL PASSPORT NR:..............
DRAWS NUMBERS:..................................
TICKET NUMBER:....................................
REF NUMBER:.....................................

BATCH NUMBER:.....................................

HOW DO YOU WANT YOUR WINNINGS?DIPLOMATIC AGENT OR COURIER SERVICE:



Regards

Kelly Ray

Claims Agent.




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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam