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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!
  
• How to report 419 spam to us
• 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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "uk national lottery" (can only win this lottery if you bought a ticket)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
• 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.
  • +447045724968 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
• 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.
  • @yahoo.co.uk
  • info_icscourierservice001@yahoo.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: "Gary Woodgate" <agentgarywoodgate003@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 25 Aug 2007 19:27:51 +0100
Subject: CONTACT: ICS COURIER SERVICE (DISPATCH OFFICER) FOR DELIVERY.


* * ** ** ** ** ** * UK ONLINE NOTIFICATION DESK.*
*GOVERNMENT ACCREDITED LICENSED!!
UKONLINE?INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY
IS REGISTERED UNDER THE DATA PROTECTION ACT OF;
(Registration Z720633X). *
*[image: The Union Jack] *
*National Lottery
P O Box 1010
**Liverpool, L70 1NL
UNITED KINGDOM
**(Customer Services)
Ref: UK/9420X/05
Batch: 074/05/ZY369 *

* *
*ATTENTION:*

*CONGRATULATIONS!This is to inform you that you have been cleared a winner
of the UK NATIONAL LOTTERY online Sweepstakes International program. I am
happy to inform you that i have forwarded your Original Certificate ofyour
mode of prize collection to the courier company.Find below the details of
the courier
company.*
*CONTACT: ICS COURIER SERVICE (DISPATCH OFFICER) FOR DELIVERY *
*ADDRESS OF HEAD OFFICE:Link House, *
*1C CHURCH STREET,
WHITCHURCH, HANTS,RG28 7AD ENGLAND **.
NAME:MR CHURCHILL DUKE (DISPATCH OFFICER)*
*TEL:+44 704 5724 968
44 704 5731 354
44 704 5743 302
44 704 5743 306*
*Email:info_icscourierservice001
@yahoo.co.uk<Email:info_icscourierservice001@yahoo.co.uk>
*

*You are adviced to send the courier company a mail to their email address
for their courier cost.When contacting them,you are to include this order
number as your subject.Please you are advised to write down the order number
and save it.

ORDER NUMBER:K/M** 757252
DRAW NO_____
FULL NAMES_______________________
FULL CONTACT ADDRESS___________________________________
ZIPCODE____________________________
SEX______________
DATE OF BIRTH _______________________
POSTAL CODE ____________________________
COMPANY NAME _____________________________
TEL______________________
FAX ____________________
COUNTRY ______________________ * *INDICATE PREFERRED MODE OF PRIZE
COLLECTION
(A) CHEQUE*
*(B) DRAFT
(C) TELEGRAPHIC TRANSFER
IF BY TELEGRAPHIC TRANSFER
(Details of the account where you want your funds
transferred):
_______________________________________________
_________________________________________________
____________________________________________________*
**
*Note: you are to Quote your complete names,Ref/Batch Numbers and your
direct phone number so that they can honour your letter.Once again i say
congratulations and always inform me with your dealings with the courier
company.*
**
*Do not hesitate to contact this office via email if the need arises.

Congratulations once again,
*
**
*Mr. Churchill Duke*
*Claims Department
The UKNL Foundation
*
*For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information
confidential till your claim is processed and your money remitted to you in
whatever manner you deem fit to claim your prize. This is part of our
precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this
program. Please be warned !!! *

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam