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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "million pounds" (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)
  • ",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)
  • "u.k " (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!

Fraud email example:

From: Ruth Sotak <rsotak@alum.mit.edu>
Date: Mon, 26 May 2008 20:54:55 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Claims Ref-UK/9420x2/70....mm



WINNING NOTIFICATION:

We happily announce to you the draw (1155) of the U.K NATIONAL
LOTTERY, online Sweepstakes

International program. Your e-mail address"Attached to ticket
number:"56475600545 188" with

Serial number" 5368/02" drew the lucky numbers: 12. 17. 21. 25. 31. 37.
[30] Bonus Ball which

subsequently won you the lottery in the 1st category. You
have therefore been

approved to claim a total sum of =C2=A34,000.000.00 (Four Million Pounds
Sterling) in cash credited

to file "KTU/9023118308/03." This is from a total cash prize of
=C2=A312,000,000" shared among the

(3) lucky winners in this category plus bonus. All
participants for the online

version were selected randomly from World Wide Web sites through
computer draw system and

extracted from over "100,000" unions, associations, and corporate
bodies that are listed online.

This promotion takes place Mouthly. To file for your Claim; please
contact our fiduciary agent.

Rivers Tencredit (Mr.)

Email: Riverstencredit223@live.com

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam