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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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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:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
• 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.
  • britishonlinedepartment@yahoo.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: "THE BRITISH INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY" <britishonlineaward@british.co.uk>
Reply-To: info@britishonlinedepartment.firm.org.uk
Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2007 19:33:35 -0500
Subject:

The International Lottery Headquarters:

Customer Service

28 TANFIELD ROAD, CROYDON.LONDON

REFERENCE NUMBER:BTL/491OXI/04

BATCH NUMBER:12/25/0304



DEAR LUCKY WINNER



FINAL WINNING NOTIFICATION



We happily announce to you the draw of the National

Lottery International programs held on the 5th of

August 2007 in London. Your e-mail address attached

to ticket number: 564 75600545-18 with serial number

5388/02 drew the lucky numbers: 31-6-26-13-35-7,which

subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd category.



You have therefore been approved to claim a total

sum of GBP2,500,000.00 (Two million, five hundred thousand,

British pounds) in cash credited to file

RPC/9080118308/04 made available from a total cash prize

of us GBP125 Million pounds, shared amongst the first Fifty

(50) lucky winners in this category.



All participants were selected randomly from world

wide web sites through a computer drawn system and

extracted from over 100,000 companies. This promotion

takes place annually.



Please note that your lucky winning number falls

within our booklet representative office in Europe as

indicated in our play coupon. In view of this, your

GBP2,500,000.00 (Two million, five hundred

thousand, pounds) would be released to

you by our affiliate bank in London as soon as you

establish contact.



Please be warned. To file for your claim, contact our

fiduciary agent with the below details;

AGENT: Mr. Paul Smith

Email: info@britishonlinedepartment.firm.org.uk

britishonlinedepartment@yahoo.co.uk



You are to provide the claims agent with the under listed

information as soon as possible:

1.FULL NAMES:..............................

2.DATE OF BIRTH:...........................

3.SEX:.....................................

4.MARITAL STATUS:..........................

5.CONTACT ADDRESS:.........................

6.COUNTRY:.................................

7.TELEPHONE NUMBER:........................

8.OCCUPATION:..............................

9.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF COMPANY/INDIVIDUAL:........

10.WINNING E-MAIL ADDRESS:.................

11.WINNING NUMBER:.........................

12.REF NUMBER:.............................

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

14.AMOUNT WON:.............................

15.HOW DO YOU FEEL AS WINNER:..............



To avoid unnecessary delays and complications, quote your

reference/batch numbers in any correspondences with us or

our designated agent. Congratulations once more.



Faithfully,

Mr. Markerson Malon.

Zone Co-ordinator.


___________________________________________________________

Fidelity Communications Webmail - http://webmail.fidnet.com

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam