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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• The following fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "irish lottery" (can only win this lottery if you bought a ticket)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "please endeavor to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "00,000.00" (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.
  • +447031906056 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: Steven Howard <stevenhoward222uk12@msn.com>
Reply-To: <clamsagentirish2008uk@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Tue, 10 Jun 2008 21:08:31 +0000
Subject: IRISH DRAWS.



11 G Lower Dorset Street,Dublin 1, Ireland .Ref: LSUK/2031/8161/05Batch: R3/A312-59We are pleased to announce to you the draw of the IRISH LOTTERY INC.onlineProgram held on the 10th of June, 2008. Your e-mail address attached toticketnumber: 56475600545 188 with Serial number 6525/06 and draw number 56whichemerged the Irish Lotto Plus 1 winner. You have therefore been approvedtoclaim a total sum of ?700,000.00 Euros (Seven hundred thousand Euros)in cashcredited to file KTU/9023118308/06 of Irish Lottery.All participants for the online version were selected randomly from theWorldWide Web through a computer draw system and extracted from over 100,000unions,associations, and corporate bodies that are listed online.This promotiontakes place weekly.Please note that your lucky winning number fallswithin ourEuropean booklet representative office in Europe as indicated in yourplaycoupon.In view of this, your ?700,000.00 Euro would be released to youby anyof our payment offices in Europe(U.K). To file for your claim, pleasefill theclaims and verification form below the required information and send toourfiduciary agent via email:Name: Steven howardEmail: clamsagentirish2008uk@yahoo.co.ukTel: + 44 703-190-6056 VERIFICATION AND FUNDS RELEASE FORM:1.FULL NAMES:2.ADDRESS:3.SEX:4.AGE:5.MARITAL STATUS:6.OCCUPATION:7.TELEPHONE NUMBER:8.DRAW NUMBER:9.AMOUNT WON:10.STATE:11.COUNTRY:That way your Winnings Certificate and all other relevantdocuments/paperworkcan be prepared for you. Note that all prize funds must be claimed notlaterthan two weeks. After this date all funds will be returned to theLOTTERYTREASURY as unclaimed. In order to avoid unnecessary delays andcomplications,please endeavor to quote your ReferenceNumber(LSUK/2031/8161/05) and Bach Number(R3/A312-59)in everycorrespondencewith your agent.Furthermore, should there be any change in your address, do inform yourclaimsagent as soon as possible.For security reasons, you are advised to keepyourwinning information confidential till your claims is processed and yourmoneyremitted to you in whatever manner you deem fit to claim your prize.This ispart of our precautionary measure to avoiddouble claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program. Please bewarned.Good luck from me and members of staff of the IRISH LOTTERY.Yours faithfully,Victoria Murphy (Mrs)Your Online Co-ordinator (IRISH LOTTERY) SWEEPSTAKE PROGRAMME.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam