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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:
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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:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• 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:
  • ",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.
  • lotooffice@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "From National Lottery Office United Kingdom" <national_officecontact@yahoo.co.uk> (may be fake)
Reply-To: lotooffice@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Fri, 7 Sep 2007 17:34:23 +0300
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS YOU ARE A WINNER.

The National Lottery
PO Box 1010
Liverpool L70 1NL, United Kingdom.
Ref: L/200-26937
Batch: 2007MJL-01
WINNING NOTIFICATION

We happily announce to you the draw (#1071) winner of the UK NATIONAL LOTTERY cash prize of £1,000,000 (one Million Pounds Sterling) held on monday 2nd of July 2007 in London Uk.The selection process was carried out through random selection in our computerized email selection system(ess) from a database of over 21,000,000 email addresses drawn from which you were selected.

The BRITISH UK. Lottery is approved by the British Gaming Board. To begin the processing of your prize you are to contact our fiduaciary claims department for more infomation as regards procedures to claim your prize.

Note: You are to keep your winnings strictly confidential so as to avoid double claims and complications:to file claims for your winnings you are to fill and send to us the verification form below.

Agents Name: Mr Peter Moore
Email:(lotooffice@yahoo.co.uk)

VERIFICATION FORM:
1.Name:
2.Address:
3.Nationality:
4.Age:
5.Sex:
6.Occupation:
7.Phone/Fax:
8.COUNTRY;

Congratulations once more,and have a great day.

Kathy Woods
Online Co-ordinator
U.K NATIONAL LOTTERY
Sweepstakes International Program.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam