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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:

• 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:
  • "claim agent" (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.
  • +447011150040 (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.
  • jjrobinnson012000@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "bl uklottery" <bl_uklottery@klikni.cz>
Date: Mon, 26 May 2008 22:28:48 +0100
Subject: Dear Internet User


Dear Internet User.


We are happy to inform you that your email address have emerged
winner of £1.500, 000.00 (ONE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND BRITISH POUNDS)
in Sweepstake Java Web Lottery Promo Award.


The online cyber draws was conducted from an exclusive list of
500,000 email addresses of individuals and corporate bodies picked
by an advanced automated random computer selection from the web.
No tickets was sold.


Your email address attached to Ref No: EAASL/941OYI/02 & Batch
No:12/25/DC34; Won the first prize on the 20th May. 2008.


Note that prizes will strictly be remitted to winners that
officially file in for their claims within the given time frame.
To begin your claim, you are to forward this message to our accredited
claim agent including your Full Names and Address,Telephone and fax
numbers, Age,Occupation, Country of Origin and country of residence.


Contact Person: Mr. J.J. Robinson
Tel:+44-701-115-0040 Fax:+44-7077-081-828
Email: jjrobinnson012000@yahoo.co.uk<http://uk.mc257.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=jjrobinnson012000@yahoo.co.uk>


Your prize award has been insured with your email address and will be
transferred to you upon meeting the requirement of the Lottery board
authority which includes your statutory obligations.


Best Regards,
Mr. Bill William Laurie
(Lottery co-ordinator).

Note: All Won Prizes must Be claimed/ Cleared not later than June. 2008.
After this date, all other winnings will be considered as
UNCLAIMED and will be forfeited.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam