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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:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "million 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 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.
  • +27781529020 (South Africa, prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • @yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: "Rev. John Williams" <rev_john_williams@easymail.hu>
Date: Sat, 06 Oct 2007 14:00:49 +0200
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS HAS WON

  LOTTERY.

        
                              MOTTO: To encourage the use og YAHOO! Mail world wide.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

YAHOO ! FREE LOTTERY DRAW

 

Dear winner,

 

We are please to announce you as one of the 19 lucky winners in the 4th category of the  Free-Lotto draw held on the 24th of JAN 2007. All 19 winning addresses were randomly selected from a batch of 50,000,000 international emails..  Draw. Consequently,you have therefore been approved for a total payout of  $ 1,000,000.00  (ONE MILLIONDOLLARS) only. Your email address emerged along side 9 others as a category to winner in this year's Annual.

 

The lottery 2007 is proudly sponsored by the Microsoft Corporation,Coca Cola,Nokia,IBM,the Intel Group, Toyota ,Toshiba, Dell computers, Mckintosh .And mostly by the UNITED KINGDOM Government.The free lottery draw is held once a year.And is so organized to encourage the use of Internet World wide and computers.And also to advertise the world wide.

 

We are proud to say that over 14 Million DOLLARS are won annually in more than 150  countries world wide.

 

Consequently,you have therefore been approved for a total pay out of $1,000,000.00  (ONE MILLION DOLLARS) only.The following particulars are attached to your lotto payment order:

 

(i) winning numbers: 37-13-43-85-67-11
(ii) email ticket number: FL754/22/76
(iii) lotto code number: FL09622UK
(iv) the file Ref number: FL/04/736207152/UK

 

WARNING!!! You are advised to keep your winning information confidential till your claim your prize money.This is part of our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program.Please be warned.

 

To file for your claim,you are required to contact our SOUTH AFRICA REGIONAL  OFFICE PAYMENT CENTRE ,send your WINNING NUMBER  to the fiduciary agent for them to pay you your winner money:

CONTACT: Mr. John Moor.

E-MAIL:  paymastergeneral2@yahoo.com

PHONE +27-78-152-9020

WEBSITE : http://lottery.yahoo.com

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

   

 

   UK President.

See your follow winner here.

 

Sincerely,

Rev. John Williams,
Promotions Manager,
YAHOO! LOTTERY
UNITED KINGDOM.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam