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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
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:
  • "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!

Fraud email example:

From: "michelle greene" <coventrydepartmentagent777@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2007 00:17:22 -0700
Subject: Re: {Spam?} LOTTERY WINNING NOTICE


Hello Winner,

I am Mr.Daniel Wallace the claims agent assigned to your case. I wish to
Congratulate you on your victory, you are a lucky person to have won this
lottery. Your email address is amongst those chosen this quarter from our
new java-based software that randomly selects email addresses from the web
from which winners are selected.



You are required to forward the following details to help facilitate the
processing of your claims and certificate which will facilitate the release
of your winnings.

1. Full names.
2. Phone number.
3. Fax number.
4. Occupation.
5. Sex.
6. Age.
7. Nationality.
8. Country of residence.
9. Winning E-mail address.

You are advised to forward this information as soon as possible to enable us
attend to your winnings. Please note that, once we confirm your information,
your payments would be processed and forwarded to the correspondent payment
agent who would in turn open communication with you in regards to how you
would receive your winnings payment,if you want you can be invited to come
and sign for your funds.

Everything was done in such a way that our payments mode would meet the
standards set by the Lottery Boards. We have also gone as far as to invite
an accounting firm to over see the payments process.


After you have sent down these information, a certificate will be prepared
for you. This is to be your proof of winning from this office to the payment
center before they release your funds. Be advised that your winnings would
be paid to you via payment centre. You are advised to keep your winning
numbers secret to avoid unscrupulous elements
from taking advantage of the situation. Once again, congratulations.

Regards,
Mr.Daniel Wallace.

.......................................................................................................
This email and its attachments are confidential and intended for the
exclusive use of the addressee(s). This email and its attachments may also
be privileged or protected by legal rules. If you have received this by
mistake please let us know by reply immediately and destroy the email and
its attachments without reading, copying or forwarding the contents

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam