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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "affidavit " (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "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 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.
  • johnsoncc.okorie@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: David K Howell <davidhowell888@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Sun, 16 Dec 2007 14:01:25 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS IN ADVANCE


The National Lottery
P O Box 1010
Liverpool, L70 1N
UNITED KINGDOM

CONGRATULATIONS IN ADVANCE
We hereby seek to your receipt that we all in the National UK Lottery congratulate you as you have been verified as a winner and you have been found worthy to collect the lump sum of £2,053,719 (Two Million, fifty-three thousand, seven hundred and nineteen Pounds Sterling) .
Your payment officer, Mr Brian Hollis was just here and he presented the documents along with your clearance form which shows that you are the rightful winner without much ado with ticket number 56475600545188 which he also brought here. He was here with an affidavit on your behalf as well.
We are happy to inform you that after our verifications/investigations, the payment has been finally approved to be made in your name as the real winner.


You are advised to come to our payment office, The National Lottery, Tolpits Lane, Watford WD18 9RN to collect your check on or before Friday, 21st December 2007. For security reasons, this cheque is only valid to be cashed within a one week period. Its validity expires on Saturday, 22nd December 2007. You are to come to London with these documents.


1) Your international passport for identification.
2) Two copies of your passport photograph.
Please indicate your Expected date of arrival to London so that i would furnish you with further instructions.

If it is inconveniencing for you to come, you can request for the documents to be mailed to you via Fedex Courier service at your expense. For mailing, please contact our contracted mailing officer, Johnson Okorie via email on (johnsoncc.okorie@yahoo.com). Please note that the check is only valid for one week so please do hurry.

Once again, congratulations on behalf of the National UK Lottery Board.
I look forward to hear from you as soon as you receive and cash your cheque.

David Howell
The National Lottery
P O Box 1010
Liverpool, L70 1N
UNITED KINGDOM
(davidhowell@officials.co.uk)


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam