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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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "uk national lottery" (can only win this lottery if you bought a ticket)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "overseas claims unit" (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.
  • +447035914206 (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.
  • mr.harry_fiduciaryagent14@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • 3amr.harry_fiduciaryagent14@yahoo.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr.Harry Walter" <diamond224@gazeta.pl>
Reply-To: mr.harry_fiduciaryagent14@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Sat, 21 Jun 2008 05:15:01 +0100
Subject: =?ISO-8859-1?Q?Final_Notice_You_Have_Won(=A31,856,652)?=


The National Lottery
P O Box 1010
Liverpool, L70 1NL
UNITED KINGDOM
(Customer Services)
Ref: UK/9420X2/26
Batch: 074/05/ZY369

Dear Lucky Winner,

RE: BONUS LOTTERY PROMOTION PRIZE AWARDS WINNING NOTIFICATION
We are pleased to notify you the draw (999) of the UK NATIONAL LOTTERY,
Online Sweepstakes International Lottery Program held on 21ST JUNE,2008
The result of our computer draw (#978) a total cash prize of
£16,533,022 shared amongst the first Nine (9) lucky winners in this
category i.e. Match 5 plus bonus.

This promotion takes place weekly. Please note that your lucky winning
number falls within our European booklet representative office in
Europe as indicated in your play coupon. In view of this, your
£1,856,652(One Million Eight Hundred and Fifty Six Thousand, Six
Hundred and Fifty Two Pounds Sterling) would be released to you by any
of our payment offices in Europe and Africa Please be informed that
claims not processed within the stipulated period may be forfeited to
the pool without further notice. Our European agent will immediately
commence the process to facilitate the release of your funds as soon as
you contact him. You may wish to establish contact via e-mail with the
particulars presented below citing the batch and reference numbers to
this letter between the hours of 8.00am - 7.30pm on Monday through
Friday.

Overseas Claims Unit
United Kingdom Lottery Fiduciary
Contact Person: Mr. Harry Walter
Email:mr.harry_fiduciaryagent14@yahoo.co.uk<Email%3Amr.harry_fiduciaryagent14@yahoo.co.uk>
Tel: +44-703-591-4206
Fax:+44-707-570-0250

This is part of our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and
unwarranted abuse of this program. To avoid unnecessary delays and
complications,details required facilitating fund release, you are to
fill the claims form below and submit to the agent officer for speed
release of your winning funds.

FULL NAME...............................................
WINNING E-MAIL ADDRESS......................
FULL ADDRESS:.......................................
SEX:.......................................................
AGE......................................................
OCCUPATION.......................................
TEL.......................MOBILE.....................
COUNTRY..............................................

Congratulations once more from all members and staffs of this program.
Thank you for being part of our online promotional lottery program.

At your disposal, we remain.

Very Truly Yours,
John Smith.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam