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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")
  • "claims 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!

Fraud email example:

From: SHELL INTERNATIONAL <shellweb1@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2007 10:19:29 +0100
Subject: SHELL OIL CO-OPERATION!!!




SHELL OIL CO-OPERATIONThe Shell International Lottery P O Box 1010Liverpool, L70 1NLUNITED KINGDOM(Customer Services)Ref: UK/9420X/05Batch: 074/05/ZY369 WINNING NOTIFICATIONWe happily announce to you the draw (#1191) of the SHELL INTERNATIONALLOTTERY, online Sweepstakes International program held on 8th,October 2007.Your e-mail address was attached to ticket number: 56154800945 618 withSerial number 20117/02 drew the lucky numbers: 07 21 22 28 37 40(BONUS #01), which subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd category.You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of 250,000 (TwoHundred and Fifty Thousand Great Britain Pounds) in cash credited tofileKTU/9023118308/03. This is from a total cash prize of 1,000,000 sharedamongst the (4) lucky winners in this category.Participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawnrandomly from a pool of over 100,000 names of e-mail addresses drawnfrom Worldwide promotions programme conducted annually to encourageprospective overseas entries.We hope with part of your prize awards, you will take part in oursubsequent lottery jackpots.In view of this, your 250,000 (Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand GreatBritain Pounds) in cash will be released to you by our payment office here in Europe. Our agents will immediately commence the process tofacilitate the release of your funds as soon they are contacted.For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning informationconfidential till your claim is processed and your money remitted toyou in whatever manner you deem fit to claim your prize. This is partof our precautionary measures to avoid double claiming and unwarrantedabuse of this program. Please be advised.To file your claim, you are to fill in this form below, then send it toourclaims agent, so that he can process your claims to you.Contact our claims agent with this email,Mr. Hary JohnsonEmail : foreign_remittance_officet07@yahoo.co.ukTo file your claims kindly fill the payment order form below to ourFudiciary AgentPAYMENT RELEASE ORDER FORM1.FULL NAMES:__________________________________2.ADDRESS:_________________________________________________________________________________________3.SEX:_______________4.AGE:________5.MARITAL STATUS:___________________6.OCCUPATION:________________________7.E-MAIL ADDRESS:_____________________________8.TELEPHONE NUMBER:_____________________9.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF COMPANY/INDIVIDUAL___________10.AMOUNT WON:______________________________________________________________________________12. COUNTRY________________________________Yours faithfully,Mrs kate wilson,Online coordinator,Sweepstakes International Program.
_________________________________________________________________
Explore the seven wonders of the world
http://search.msn.com/results.aspx?q=7+wonders+world&mkt=en-US&form=QBRE

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam