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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
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "hundred thousand great british pounds" (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)
  • "here in united kingdom" (this email uses bad English)
• 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.
  • +447045704459 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: WINDOW LIVE <msnotice2@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <mrauthur_claimdept@consultant.com>
Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 10:45:13 -0700
Subject: NOKIA XMAS EXTRAVAGANZA...YOUR WON PRIZE.




UK HEADQUARTERS.The Marina Offices, St Peters Yacht Basin,Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 1HX England

NOKIA END OF YEAR PROMO
REPLY TO:
Email: nokiapromo@instruction.com
Our dear certified winner, The Board of Directors of the NOKIA END OF YEAR PROMOTIONS announce to you as 1 of our 10th lucky Winners of this year annual New year Christmas Bonanza draw held on 31st of December 2007, here in United Kingdom. All participants for category A (online version) were selected randomly from World Wide Web (www) through computer balloting system drawn from over 100,000 names database, union associations and corporate bodies that are listed online. And your email address emerged alongside with 9 other as category .A. winner. Consequently you are therefore been approved for a payout of £500,000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand Great British Pounds)

VERIFICATION NO.: CN-435-663-6Please note that, you are to contact Dr. James Kelvin your claims validating officer immediately with the e-mail given below. Dr. James Kelvin
Tel: :+447045704459.
Email: nokiapromo@instruction.com

Sincerely,Mrs. firmik paker
_________________________________________________________________
Get the power of Windows + Web with the new Windows Live.
http://www.windowslive.com?ocid=TXT_TAGHM_Wave2_powerofwindows_012008

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam