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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:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "netherlands gaming board"
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "claims office" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • ",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 free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
  • info_seanthompson005@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: POWERBALL-WHEEL E-GAME 2007 <ofeliatp@prodigy.net.mx>
Reply-To: info_seanthompson005@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Wed, 01 Aug 2007 22:01:59 -0500
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS YOUR E-MAIL HAS WON!!!




POWERBALL LOTTO. BV
POWERBALL-WHEEL E-GAME 2007.

We happily announce to you the online International Lottery program held on 21st June 2007.
Your e-mail address with REF NO: PBL/CN/6654/CP AND Coupon No.PBL2348974321 won the amount of One million USD only($1,000,000.00). The selection process was carried out through random selection in our computerized email selection system(s) from a database of over 250,000 email addresses drawn from all the continents of the world. Powerball lottery Promo is approved by the Netherlands Gaming Board and also Licensed by The International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR). To begin the processing of your prize you are to contact our executive claims officer through the contact stated below with your personal informations for verification purpose:

Mr. SEAN THOMPSON.
Claims Agent
Email: info_seanthompson005@yahoo.co.uk

WINNING VERIFICATION FORM
1.Name in full.....................
2.Address..........................
3.Nationality......................
4.Age..............................
5.Occupation.......................
6.Phone/Fax........................
7.Present Country..................
MRS BIRGIT ROMIO (Co-coordinator.)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam