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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:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "hundred thousand u.s dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • ",000,000" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
• 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.
  • megawinnings07@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "ONLINE WINNING LOTTO" <onlinew.lotto@btconnect.com>
Date: Mon, 3 Sep 2007 06:18:30 +0100
Subject: Online Winner(your email won USD$500.000.00)



THE ONLINE SWEEP LOTTERY
MICROSOFT AWARD 2007
Microsoft Campus Thames
Valley Park Reading Berkshire
RG6 1WG UNITED KINGDOM.

(CSC) Claims Security Code: CSC-74162007-04-LV-UK
Finally today, we announce this year's winners of the ONLINE MEGA JACKPOT held on the 24th of August, 2007. This is an Electronic Mail Award in which email addresses were used. Selection process was carried out through random selection in our Email Selection Machine (TOPAZ). You have been approved for lump sums pay out of $500,000.00 (Five Hundred thousand U.S Dollars}) in cash Credited to Claims Security Code Number CSC-74162007-04-LV-UK. Selection process was carried out through random selection in our computerized email selection machine (TOPAZ) from a data base of over 1,000,000.00 email addresses drawn from all the continents of the world. you must first contact your CLAIMS PROCESSOR: Mr Gary Sanders Email:megawinnings07@yahoo.co.uk

NOTE THAT THE BELOW INFORMATION IS REQUIRED TO CLAIM YOUR
WINNINGS:1.Full Name....2.Address:....3.Nationality:
4.Age.....5.Occupation:....6.Tel/Fax:
7.State of Origin:....8.Country:...9.Sex:
10. Claims Security Code:

Sincerely,
Online Lottery Co-Ordinator



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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam