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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:
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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:
  • "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)
  • "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)
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
• 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.
  • +447045743006 (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.
  • williams-hagent@excite.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: HEINEKEN COMPANY LOTTERY NOTIFICATION <heineken_jackpot23@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <henekein_claimprocessor@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 9 Nov 2007 05:15:23 -1000
Subject: Congartulation you are a winner






HEINEKEN WORLD LOTTERY UNITED KINGDOM. Southampton Row, Bloomsbury. London United Kingdom WC1B 4AR
REF NO: HNW/56B-672GH/L BATCH NO:HNW/007B-8765J/O

ELECTRONIC EMAIL AWARD WINNING NOTIFICATION AWARD PRESENTATION CENTER

This is to inform you of the release of email balloting held on the 21st October 2007, by the HEINEKEN COMPANY on our anneversary and a way of saying thank you to our customers all over the world, i am happy to announce to you that you are a winner of 2,000,000.00 (Two million Great British Pounds Sterling) along side with 9 other lucky winners who were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from only Microsoft users from over 30,000 000 companies and 500,000,000 individual email addresses and names from all over the world. This promotion is organized by HEINEKEN IRELAND and HEINEKEN England. However, the results were released on 7th November 2007 and your email was among the 10 Lucky winners who won �2,000,000.00 each on the anniversary of the HEINEKEN WORLD LOTTERY UNITED KINGDOM..
You have been approved for lump sums pay out of 2,000,000.00 GBP in cash Credited to file REF NO: HNW/56B-672GH/L and winning number 23-76-06-54-42-100. Selection process was carried out through random selection in our computerized email selection machine (TOPAZ) from a database of over 1,000,000 email addresses drawn from all the continents of the world. The online draws was conducted by a random selection of email addresses from an exclusive list of 500,000,000 E-mail addresses of individuals and corporate bodies picked by an advanced automated random computer search from the internet. No ticket were sold but all email addresses were assigned to different ticket numbers for representation and privacy. This is to encourage our prominent Heineken Customers all over the world.
Your fund (Certified Cashiers Cheque) has been insured with your REF NO: MSW/56B-672GH/L and winning number 23-76-06-54-42-100. To claim your winning prize, you must first contact the claims department by email for Processing and remittance of your prize to you.
Mr James Williams.
+447045743006
Fiduciary agent
Heineken Promotion Award TeamE MAIL: williams-hagent@excite.com

You are advised to contact your fiduciary agent with the following details to avoid unnecessary delays and complications: You are also advice to call as soon as you get this mail so that you can be told how you can get your cheque.

VERIFICATION AND FUNDS RELEASE FORM.1.FULL NAMES:
2.ADDRESS:3.SEX:4.AGE:
5.MARITAL STATUS:6.OCCUPATION:7.TELEPHONE NUMBER: 8.COUNTRY:9.HOW DO YOU FEEL AS A WINNER:10 . MODE OF CHEQUE DELIVERY TO YOU.
Sincerely, Donald McallumONLINE COORDINATOR.
_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam