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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
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• 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 phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "claims office" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "00,000.00" (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.
  • alex.twala@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • alex.twala@winning.com

Fraud email example:

From: Atiq Kumar <atiq_kumar@yahoo.co.in>
Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2007 08:34:43 +0100 (BST)
Subject: CONGRATS !


Dear Winner,

The Board of Directors of CRYSTAL GLOBAL LOTTERY announces to you as 1 of our 10th lucky winners of this month draw held on 14th October 2007. All 10 winning Email Addresses were randomly selected from a batch of 786,000 international emails world-wide.

And your email address emerged alongside with 9 other as the first category winner.Consequently you have therefore been approved for a total pay out of USD500,000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand Dollars Only).

The following particulars are attached to your lottery payment order.

(I) Winning numbers:lott22 -55-BBK-22
(2) Email ticket number:BUK-1188-730-116
(3) Lotto batch number: 9484-9006-0076
(4) File Ref. number: 637409467-US
(5) certificate number: US/0067/09

Please note that, you are to forward the following information to Mr.Alex Twala your claims validiting officer immediately with the e-mail given below.
1.) FULL NAME
2.) NATIONALITY
3.) MOBILE TELEPHONE NUMBER

Mr.Alex Twala
Email: alex.twala@yahoo.com
Email: alex.twala@winning.com
Tele/Fax: +1 707 8377117

CLAIMANT SIGNATORY DECLARATION
===============================================================
1.Your Ref number must be in all your mails with the claims officer.
2.Do inform the claims officer of any change of names or addresses.
3.Please do not reply to this email. Contact your claims agent.
===============================================================
The CRYSTAL GLOBAL LOTTERY is registered with The Gaming Board of the USA under Schedule 1A to the Lotteries and Amusements Act 1976,as amended (LOT 150/1837/2) and these lotteries are managed by AlladdinLotteries Limited, the External Lottery Manager registered with

The Gaming Board for Great Britain (ELM 150/10/1).

Congratulations once again.

Sincerely,

Atiq Kumar.



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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam