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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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "20 craven park, harlesden" (address often used in fake lottery scams)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • ",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 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.
  • +447045730109 (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.
  • microsoft_claimsagent144@yahoo.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: Dr raymond Mathins <microsoft_claimsagent144@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2007 18:47:11 +0200
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS!! YOUR EMAIL EMERGED WINNER IN THE MICROSOFT AWARD PROMO 2007.

 

  

Microsoft Award Team
20 Craven Park, Harlesden
London NW10
United Kingdom
Ref: BTD/969/07

Batch: 59978ED

 Dear Winner,

The prestigious Microsoft and alo has set out and successfully
organized a Sweepstakes marking the new year 2007 anniversary we rolled out
over £10,000.000.00 (Ten million Great Britain Pounds) for our end of year
Anniversary Draws. Participants for the draws were randomly selected
and drawn from a wide range of web hosts which we enjoy their patronage.


Your email address as indicated was drawn and attached to ticket number
0087955827499 with serial numbers BTD/0080648302/07 and drew the lucky
numbers 14-21-30-39-40-47(31) which subsequently won you £1,000,000.00
(One Million Great Britain Pounds) as one of the 10 jackpot winners in
the is draw.

To file for your claim Please Contact your fiduciary agent
DR RAYMOND MATHINS
Microsoft Promotion Award Team
Email: microsoft_claimsagent144@yahoo.co.uk
Phone: +44-704-5730-109
You are advised to contact your fiduciary agent with the following
details to avoid unnecessary delays and complications:
Your Full Names
Country
Occupation
Age 
as indicated in this winning Notification and Phone numbers.
 

Congratulations from the Staffs & Members of the  interative Lotteries  Board Commission ;

    

Mrs. Rose A. Allen
Microsoft Promotion

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam