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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
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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 phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "fudiciary" (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!
• 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.
  • +447024032213 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: UK NATIONAL LOTTERY <mo_u_mo_09@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <claimsagent_berry@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2007 16:16:09 -0600
Subject: WINNING NOTIFICATION



THE UK INTERNATIONAL LOTTERYP O BOX 1010LIVERPOOL, L70 1NLUNITED KINGDOM(Customer Services)Ref No: UK/9420X2/68Batch No: 074/05/ZY369Date:5-09-2007
WINNING NOTIFICATION
We happily announce to you the draw (#1198) of the UKINTERNATIONALLOTTERY,online Sweepstakes Internationalprogram held on Sat 1sT Sept,2007.
Your e-mail address attached to ticket number:56475600545188 withSerial number 5368/06 drew the lucky numbers:08-17-33-41-43-45 (bonusno.37), which subsequently won youthe lottery in the 2nd category i.e match5 plus bonus. Youhave therefore been approved to claim a total sum of£250,000 (Two hundred and fifty thousand poundssterlings) in cash credited to file KTU/9023118308/03.
This is from a total cash prize of £250.000 pounds sharedamongst the (7)lucky winners in this category i.e Match 5plus bonus. All participantsfor the online version wereselected randomly from World Wide Web sitesthrough computer draw system and extracted from over100,000unions,associations, and corporate bodies that arelisted online. However, notickets were sold but all email addresses were assigned todifferentticketnumbers for representation and privacy andthe selection process wascarried out through randomselection in our computerized emailselection machine (TOPAZ).
This promotion takes place weekly. Please note that yourlucky winningnumber falls within our European bookletrepresentative office in Europe as indicated in your playcoupon. In view of this, your £250,000 (Two hundred andfifty thousand pounds sterlings)) would be released to youby any of ourpayment offices in Europe. For securityreasons, you are advised to keepyour winning informationconfidential till your claims is processed and your moneyremitted to you in whatever manner you deem fit toclaimyour prize.
To file for your claim, please contact our Oversea claimsagent.Fudiciary Agent: Mr Berry WilsonOfficial Email:claimsagent_berry@yahoo.co.ukTel: +447024032213
Endeavour to email your full names,winningnumbers,telephone and faxnumbers immediately.
Yours faithfully,Mr. Brain HuntOnline coordinator for THE UKINTERNATIONAL LOTTERYSweepstakes International Program
_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam