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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
  
  
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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:
  • "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "claims 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)
• 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 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.
  • gragilbert@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Claim Department" <claims09@yamal.info>
Reply-To: customerservice@nedbk-online.com
Date: Sun, 29 Jun 2008 00:00:40 +0200
Subject: Congratulations!


Ref: Number: 132/756/4509
Batch Number: 538901527-Bc68
Ticket Number: 27522465896-6453

Attn: 2nd Category Winner!

We are pleased to inform you of the result of the Winners in our UK NATIONAL
LOTTERY Program held on the 25th June 2008.Your e-mail address attached to
ticket number 27522465896-6453 with serial number 3772-554 drew lucky
numbers 7-14-18-31-45 which consequently won in the 2ND category, you have
therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of £250,000.00Pounds (Two
hundred and fifty Thousand Pounds).

However, due to mix up of some numbers and names, we ask that you keep your
winning information confidential until your claims have been fully processed
and your money Remitted to you. This is part of our security protocol to
avoid multiple claims and unwarranted abuse of this program by some
participants. All participants were selected through a computer ballot
system drawn from over 20,000 company and 30,000,000 individual email
addresses and names from all over the world. This promotional program takes
place every five years.

This lottery was promoted and sponsored by a conglomerate of some
multinational companies in Europe as part of their social responsibility to
the citizens in the communities where they have operational base. We hope
with part of your winnings you will take part in our next year One Million
Pounds UK NATIONAL LOTTERY Program

To file for your claim, please contact your claim agent Dr. Graham Gilbert
through his direct email: gragilbert@yahoo.co.uk for due processing and
remittance of your prize money to a designated account of your choice.
Remember, all prize money must be claimed not later than 29th September
2008, after this date, all funds will be returned as unclaimed.

NOTE: In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please
remember to quote your reference and batch numbers in every one of your
correspondences with your agent. Furthermore, should there be any change of
your address, do inform your claims agent as soon as possible.

Congratulations again from all our staff and thank you for being part of our
promotions program.
You can go to our online result site to confirm the value of your winnings
and also get a prize breakdown:-
www.national-lottery.co.uk/player/p/results/results.do

Congratulations!

Dr. Joe Adams
Online coordinator
National Lottery Claim Department

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam