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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:
  • "national lottery promotion" (no such lottery exists)
  • "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: SEA-GATE FINANCIAL TRUST FUNDS <drharrisonfinchleydept@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2007 08:51:42 +0100 (BST)
Subject: A REMINDER NOTE, DO NOT IGNORE.


Attention: Winner,

How are you doing at the moment?

This message serves as a reminder to you as one of the lucky winners in this years UK NATIONAL LOTTERY PROMOTION that your winning prize is still lying pending here in our office/custody.

This notice also serve as the last notification letter to you, if you do not respond positively to this, you will be issued a disclaimer letter and i believe you know what that means.

Endeavour to get back to this office as soon as you can if not necessary actions will be taken.

Thanks for your expected co-operation.

Mr. Harrison Finchley,
For Sea-Gate Financial Trust Funds.
UK.



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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam