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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.

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:
  • "clearance certificate" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. Never ever send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally. )
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "claims office" (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)
  • "united state dollar" (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.
  • +34678245301 (Spain, prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • onseguros@aim.com

Fraud email example:

From: "congratulations.your.e.mail.won euromillion" <callyour_agent@yahoo.es>
Date: Wed, 06 Feb 2008 15:17:50 +0100
Subject: Contact your agent you won euromillion lottery award!!



FROM THE ONLINE EURO MILLION INTERNATE AWARD!!!SPANISH DIVISIONAL LOTTERY =
OFFICE Castillo Blasco 16.Gatafe-121600 MADRID-SPAIN
Date:06:02:2008 Attention:Beneficiary.Today we are please to announce you =
as one of the 4 lucky winners in the Euro Millones Lottery International E=
mail Address draw on the 28th of January 2008, due to the mixture of names=
and address the result was released on the 05th Februry, 2008. All 9 winn=
ing addresses were randomly selected from a batch of 50,000,000 internatio=
nal email addresses. Your email address emerged alongside 3 other as a sec=
ond category winner in the Euro Millones Lottery Draw. Consequently, you h=
ave therefore been approved for a total pay out of(Seven Hundred And Eight=
y Seven Thousand United State Dollars Only)($787:000:00)(United States dol=
lars only)The following particulars are attached to your lotto payment ord=
er: ** ***CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!Ref No:-EMSL/2007/FEB.=20
Ticket No:-T WMT/1800/806=20
Lucky No:- 07-13-31.54-640 Ser ial No:-MUO TI/82536 *The Euro Millones Lot=
tery Program internet draw is held once in a year and is so organized to e=
ncourage the use of the internet and computers worldwide. We are proud to =
say that over 200 Million Euros are won annually in more than 150 countrie=
s worldwide. To claim your winning prize you are to contact the appointed =
agent as soon as possible for the immediate release of your winnings:** *M=
R. PAUL FRANCIS.* *TEL: +34 678 245 301***FAX:+34 658 656 399E.mail:harris=
onseguros@aim.com**** *N.B:Steps to claiming your prize;***(1)Please quote=
your Reference number in all correspondence with the claims officer. (2)Y=
ou must contact the appointed agent with your Full Names, Contact Telephon=
e Numbers (Home, Office and Mobile Number and also Fax Number) via email o=
r following telephone number *Tel: 0034 678 245 301 ,*to process the immed=
iate payment of your prize. (3)Be informed that the appointed agent will b=
e required to swear an Affidavits of Lotto Claim and also obtain Approval =
Le gal Clearance Certificate from the Court here in Spa in which is in acc=
ordance with the European unionFinancial Act 2004 on payment of Internatio=
nal Lottery Winners. Please be aware that the PAYING BANK will Effect Paym=
ent Swiftly upon satisfactory Report, Verifications and validation provide=
d by this fiduciary agent. For security reasons, you are advised to keep y=
our winning information confidential till your claims is processed and you=
r money remitted to you.Once again congratulations!!! Best regards,=20
SIR. ALVARO GARCIA SOLANASweepstakes International Program.THE EUROMILLION=
LOTTERY INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS PROGRAM All rights reserved. Terms of Se=
rvice - Guidelin 99635 526378 2556642563=20


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam