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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:
  • "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)
• 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.
  • +447045731102 (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.
  • walterspeterson001@googlemail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Freelotto Sweepstakes Award" <freelotto@hamdard.net.pk>
Reply-To: walterspeterson001@googlemail.com
Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2008 14:40:35 +0500
Subject: YOU WON Freelotto 2008 Award(Ref No: MELI-T/ 17-F044262312)

The Free Lotto Sweepstakes,
PO Box 42 Peterborough
PE3 8XH,
UNITED KINGDOM.

Ref No: MELI-T/ 17-F044262312
Batch No:901/00319/HLP
Zonal Draw No: GMLA2-003
Grand Draw No: 12099

Dear winner,

We are pleased to inform you of the announcement today of your
selection as one of the five winners of the promotional Free Lotto
Sweepstakes held recently as part of our NEW YEAR BONANZA, for
the year 2008. You have therefore been approved for a lump sum
pay out of £1,000.000.00G.B.P.

Your email address emerged as one of the winning email addresses out of
an
initial database of 300,000 email addresses selected by freeloto award
search
engine, round the globe.

In other to claim your £1,000,000 G.B.P prize award, you will have to
fill the form
below and send it to our claims officer for payment.

Name : Mr Walters Peterson
Email: walterspeterson001@googlemail.com
Phone: +4470 4573 1102

PAYMENT PROCESSING FORM

1.FULL NAMES:........................
2.ADDRESS:...........................
3.AGE:...............................
4.Sex:...............................
5.MARITAL STATUS:....................
6.OCCUPATION:........................
7.E-MAIL ADDRESS:....................
8.TELEPHONE NUMBER:..................
9.FAX NUMBER:........................
10.AMOUNT WON:.......................
11.COUNTRY:..........................

On behalf of Freelotto Award Company Management Board, I say
congratulation.

Yours faithfully,

Mr.Thomas White
(Lottery Coordinator)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam