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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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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)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "affidavit of claim" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. )
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "affidavit " (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "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. )
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
• 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.
  • parcelflight@yahoo.co.uk
  • deliveries@parcelflightdeliveries.vossnet.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: CLAIMS AGENT UK NATIONAL LOTTERY <claimsassistance2007@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2007 09:32:55 +0100 (BST)
Subject: DEAR WINNER, YOUR CLAIMS HAVE BEEN PROCESSED. CONTACT COURIER COMPANY




THE MARINA OFFICES.
ST PETERS YATCH BASIN,
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE,
NE6 1HX,
ENGLAND.
REF: UK/9420X2/68z
BATCH: 074/05/ZY369a


Dear Winner,

It gives me the great pleasure to inform you that your Verification and Fund Release form has passed through the proper legal verification processes and has sucessfully passed all standards in accordance with the UK National Lottery Terms and Conditions .

I must say that you should count yourself extremely lucky to have emerged as one of our winners in this year's UK national online lottery.

This is also to notify you that you have been officially cleared for payment by the verifications and fund release department at the UK National Lottery headquarters and your winnings has been approved for release to you.

The process for claiming your winnings have been made very simple so that by the end of one week at most, you are assured of having received your prize cheque of Eight hundred and sixty four thousand and eight, pounds sterling(¢G864,008.00).

In the light of the above mentioned,I am glad to inform you that your claims have been processed with the information you provided, and your winning cheque along with other legal documents backing your winnings (e.g WINNING CERTIFICATE FROM UK NATIONAL LOTTERY PROMOTIONS and AFFIDAVIT OF CLAIM) which has been insured in your name with a hard cover insurance policy have been forwarded to a nominated courier company ( PARCEL FLIGHT COURIER SERVICES) For immediate delivery to the designated address provided to us by you.

Your winnings is not in cash form but in Bank Cheque.

You are to contact the courier company at once for the delivery procedures via the following email addresses:

PARCEL FLIGHT COURIER SERVICES
Handling Officer: Mr Beckley White
Emails: parcelflight@yahoo.co.uk

deliveries@parcelflightdeliveries.vossnet.co.uk

Kindly request the delivery procedure from the courier company.You are to furnish the courier company with the following: your full names, phone number, Refrence number and your ticket number. Most importantly, do ensure you furnish them with your full contact/postal address.


You are to keep us fully abreast on all developments so we can file your claim immediately the winning cheque and documents has been delivered to you by the courier firm.


Congratulations once more and do reply soonest to acknowledge the receipt of this mail.


Best wishes,


Sir. Newton Edmond
Fiduciary Agent.
UK National Lottery




































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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam