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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:
  • "claims director" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
• 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.
  • +447005981219 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: "Tulsi A. Changela" <changelat1@mail.montclair.edu>
Reply-To: mrssherrell1@yahoo.it
Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2008 08:16:19 GMT
Subject: REF: YAHOO6/315116127/27

=3CBODY=3E=3CBR=3E=3CBR=3EFROM=3A THE DESK OF THE CLAIMS DIRECTOR=2C =3CB= R=3EYAHOO INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS / PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT=2C =3CBR=3ERE= F=3A YAHOO6/315116127/27 =3CBR=3EBATCH=3A 8254297137 =3CBR=3ERegistered L= ottery No 220949 =3CBR=3E(Thanks for contributing to our Financial Succes= s) =3CBR=3E=3CBR=3EATTENTION=3AWINNER=2C =3CBR=3E=3CBR=3EThis is to infor= m you that you have been selected for a cash prize of =3CBR=3E=A3500=2C00= 0=2E00 Pounds=2E This email promotion was held on the 22th of =3CBR=3EFEB= 2008 in London United Kingdom=2E Your e-mail address attached to =3CBR=3E= ticket number 883734657492-5319 with serial number 7263-267=2C batch =3CB= R=3Enumber 8254297137 drew the lucky numbers 14-22-28-37-40-44 which =3CB= R=3Econsequently won in the 1st category=2C you have therefore been appro= ved =3CBR=3Efor a lump sum pay out of =A3500=2C000=2E00 (i=2Ee=2E five Hu= ndred Thousand =3CBR=3EUnited Kingdom Pounds Sterling) in cash credited t= o file REF=3A =3CBR=3EYAHOO6/315116127/27=2E To file for your claims you = are to contact =3CBR=3Eour REMMITANCE DIRECTOR for further information=2E= =3CBR=3E=3CBR=3E NAME=3A MR WEST NEWTON (REMMITANCE DIRECTOR) =3CBR=3EEMAIL=3A claim=5Fdir= ector101=40yahoo=2Ecom=2Ehk =3CBR=3ETell=3A +44-795-516-7964 =3CBR=3EFax=3A= +44-7005-981-219 =3CBR=3E=3CBR=3EYou are hereby advised to provide our c= laims department with the =3CBR=3Efollowing information=3A REF Number=2C = Batch number=2C Winning Email Address=2E =3CBR=3EThereafter you will dire= cted by your remittance officer on how to =3CBR=3Eclaim your prize=2E =3C= BR=3E=3CBR=3EYAHOO PROMOTION is a free service that does not require you = to =3CBR=3Eregister or be a Yahoo registered user before winning=2E You h= ave =3CBR=3Ereceived this message from Yahoo International PROMOTIONS pri= ze dept =3CBR=3Ebecause you have visited one of our sponsored sites and h= ave =3CBR=3Evoluntarily given your email address to receive mails from th= eir =3CBR=3Esponsors=2E Your email address was selected along side ten lu= cky winners =3CBR=3Earound the world who have there email voluntarily giv= en to receive =3CBR=3Emails from various site that we sponsor around the = world=2E =3CBR=3E=3CBR=3ETo View Some Of Our Past Lucky Winner Click=3A =3C= BR=3E =3CBR=3E**http=3A//img=2Etimeinc=2Enet/TFK/media/news/2006a/060222=5Flott= ery=5Fhor=2Ejpg =3CBR=3E**http=3A//images=2Eusatoday=2Ecom/news/=5Fphotos= /2005/09/23/lottery-winners-inside=2Ejpg =3CBR=3E**http=3A//www=2Elouisia= nalottery=2Ecom/assets/images/newsroom/Lotto=2520Winners/CarlosCase2=2Ejp= g =3CBR=3E**http=3A//www=2Ejavoue=2Ecom/presse/yahoo=5Fjavoue=2Ejpg =3CBR= =3E=3CBR=3E=3CBR=3EMrs=2ESherrell Barber (Zonal Coordinator) =3CBR=3EYAHO= O PROMOTIONS=3CBR=3E=3CBR=3E=3C/BODY=3E

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam