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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 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)
• 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.
  • +22997729789 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: ukstake ukstake <ukloint22@hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2007 19:06:00 +0000
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS YOU HAVE WON IN OUR LOTTO!


OVERSEAS STAKE LOTTERYINTERNATIONAL UK.BATCH NUMBER : AT-040SB06-03

Attention: Winner

We are pleased to inform you that as a result of our recent lottery draw held on the 18th December 2006, your email
address attached to ticket number 27522465896 with serial number 652-662 draw lucky numbers 7-14-18-23-31-45
which consequently won the 2nd category for alump sum pay out of (1,000,000.00 EURO)

Note that all participants in this lottery program have been selected randomly through a complete ballot system
drawn from over 20,000 companies and 30,000 individual email addresses from all search engine and website.

This programme takes place every year and is promoted and sponsored by eminent personalities like the Sultan of
Brunei, Bill gate of Microsoft inc and other Corporate Organizations. This is to encourage the use of the internet
worldwide.

For security purpose and clarity, we advise that you keep you winning information confidential until your claims have
been processed and your money remitted to you. This is part of our security protocol to avoid double.

As a result of too many winners we are treating on hand and also making ways on how they can catch their winning
money, so therefore you are requested to contact our clearance officer in Benin Republic West Africa to assist you
with your winnings and subsequent payments.

All winning must be claimed not later than one week after the date of this notice.

Below is the contact of our clearance officer in Benin Republic West Africa.

Name: Mr. John KennedyEmail: paymentbureauunit@myway.comPhone num: +229 97729789Fax num: +229 97648925

To avoid delay in claiming your winning fund you are therefore needed to forward to Mr. Kennedy the below
information.

1) Your full names and address/country.2) Tel/Fax line3) Sex and occupation4) Your ticket num and serial number.

Please note, in order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, remember to quote your reference number and
batch numbers in all correspondence.

Furthermore, should there be any change of address do inform our agent as soon as possible.

Congratulations once more and thank you for being part of our program.

Yours Sincerely,

Elizabeth McKnight.(LOTTERY SECRETARY)

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam