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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:
  • "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 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.
  • +447024056003 (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.
  • william.kombo_dr777@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: uklotto_elizabeth.smith1@zipmail.com.br
Date: Mon, 3 Dec 2007 12:18:45 +0100
Subject: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Attn=3A=20Winner=20=2C=20OVERSEAS=20LOTTERY=20INTERNATIONAL=2E?=

OVERSEAS LOTTERY INTERNATIONAL
12, BRIDGE STREET, STAINES MIDDLESEX
TW18 4TP LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM.
WINNING TICKET NUMBER : 27522465896-532.
WINNING NUMBER: 7-14-18-23-31-45 .

BATCH NUMBER:AT-040-SB06-07.
REF NUMBER: OSL/653/029/07.

Attn: Winner ,

We are delighted to informed you that as a result of our recent lottery
draw held on Friday 19th October 2007 your email address was attached to
ticket number 27522465896-532 with serial number 652-662 drew lucky numbers
7-14-18-23-31-45 which consequently won in the Second category which is
the last quarter payment of the year 2007.

You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of 500,000.00 pounds(FIVE
HUNDRED THOUSAND POUNDS). Note that All participants in this lottery program
have been selected randomly through a computer ballot system drawn from
over 11 companies and 72 individual email addressesfrom all search
engines and websites.

This promotional program takes place twice every year, it is promoted and
sponsored by eminent personalities like the Sultan of Brunei, Bill Gates
of Microsoft inc and other corporate organizations. This is to encourage
the use of the Internet and computers worldwide.

For security purpose and clarity,we advise that you keep your winning information
confidential until your claims have been processed and your money remitted
to you. This is part of our security protocol to avoid impersonation of
making awrong payment and unwarranted abuse of this program by some participants.


You are requested to contact our payment department officer below to assist
you with your winnings and subsequent payments. All winnings must be claimed
not later than three weeks (21 days), After the date of this notice all
unclaimed winning prize shall be canceled.

Please note, in order to avoid unnecessary delays and
complications,remember to quote your reference number and batch numbers
in all correspondence. Furthermore, if there should be any change of address
do not hesitate to inform the payment officer as soon as possible.

Contact Person:

WILLIAM .K. HAYES.
Payment Department Officer,
Overseas Lottery International.
Tel: + 44-702-405-6003
Fax: + 44-703-174-6674
E-mail contact: william.kombo_dr777@yahoo.com


Congratulations on your winnings!!!

Yours in service,
Executive Awarding Manager.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam