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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!
  
• How to report 419 spam to us
• 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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • ",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)
  • "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.
  • +447035915290 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: "FREE LOTTO Sweepstakes" <claim_freegame002@live.com>
Date: Tue, 01 Jul 2008 23:03:23 +0100
Subject: Ref No: MELI-T/ 17-F044262312

FREE LOTTO Sweepstakes
Ref No: MELI-T/ 17-F044262312
Batch No:901/00319/HLP
Zonal Draw No: GMLA2-003
Grand Draw No: 12099

Dear Lucky Winner!!!

We happily announce to you the draw of the FREE LOTTO
Sweepstakes Intl Incprograms and You are therefore in our
computer balloting sweepstake held on July 2008. This is a
Millennium Scientific Computer Game in which email addresses
were used. It is a promotional program aimed at encouraging
internet users; therefore you do not need to buy ticket to
enter for it You have been approved to claim a total sum of
£1,000,000.00 for lottery win promotion which is organized
by FREE LOTTO Sweepstakes Intl Inc.

You have won a consolation cash prize of £1,000,000.00
(One Million Great Britain Pounds Only). The FREE LOTTO
Sweepstakes Intl Inc Group have approved a payout of your
consolation cash prize which will be remunerated directly to
you by the official Payment Agency Board.Our DUE PROCESS
UNIT (DPU) will render to you complete assistance and
provideadditionalinformation and processes for the claims of
your consolation prize.For due processing of your winning
claim, please contact the DPU InformationOfficer Sir Van
Williams who has been assigned to assist you.
CLAIMS PROCESSING LOTTERY AGENT CONTACT INFORMATION
Contact Person:Sir Van Williams ( winners Directorate Office
)
Email:claim_freegame002@live.com
TEL: +44 703 591 5290

1.FULL NAMES:________
2.ADDRESS:__________
3.SEX:______________
4.AGE:________
5.MARITAL STATUS:________
6.OCCUPATION:_____________
7.E-MAIL ADDRESS:_______________
8.TELEPHONE NUMBER:_____________________
9.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF COMPANY/INDIVIDUAL_________
10.AMOUNT WON:_______________
11. COUNTRY__________

Once again congratulations from all our staffs on your
consolation prize
winning, we hope you will partake in our forth coming FREE
LOTTO Sweepstakes
Email-games.
Yours Sincerely,
Dr BRAIN HUNT(PHD)
LOTTO CO-ORDINATOR.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam