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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:
  • "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
• 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.
  • mr_charlse_martins@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Mrcharles Martins <mrcharlesmartins@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: mr_charlse_martins@yahoo.com
Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2008 02:21:50 -0800 (PST)
Subject: UK LOTTERY ORGANIZATION


Your E-mail address has won you US$4.6
UK LOTTERY ORGANIZATION M
TICKET FREE/ONLINE E-MAIL ADDRESS WINNINGS DEPARTMENT.

If you are the correct owner of this email address,then be glad this day
as the result of the UK lotto online e-mail winning draws and sweepstakes
held in MADRID, SPAIN on the 5th of January 2008 has just been released
and we are glad to announce to you that your e-mail address has won you
the lottery in the first category in this 2008 and you are entitled to
claim the sum of US$4.6M.

Your email address was entered for the online draw on this Ticket Number:
APP236566301307 and won on this Lucky Number: MX014926583. You are to
contact Mrs Anna Paul on the below email address for quick delivery of
your won prize of US$4.6M.

To enable the Courier Company ascertain you as the rightful receiver of
this prize, include the below listed information in your contact mail.
1:Your country...........................
2:complete official names.................
3:amount won..........................................
4:ticket and lucky numbers...........................
5:.date/venue of draw.......................
6: address where your wish to receive your winnings................
7: contact telephone, mobile and fax numbers.....................
8: sex...........................
9: age..................
10: occupation/and job title. ....................

Top Speed Express Spanish Company Ltd.
Office Address: 68 monte Road, Madrid, Spain
Email-Address:mr_charlse_martins@yahoo.com

Contact Agent: Mrs Anna Paul

Yours Truly,
Mr Charles Martins.
Co-ordinator.
UK LOTTERY ORGANIZATION

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam