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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:
  • "million dollars" (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!

Fraud email example:

From: "Winner Lucky" <ukmillion@yamal.info>
Date: Wed, 2 Jul 2008 18:05:51 +0200
Subject: CHECK YOUR MAIL.


UK-MILLIONS LOTTO.
THE LOTTO PROMOTION
HEAD OFFICE
ST GEORGES COURT ,
2-12 BLOOMSBURY WAY ,
LONDON , WC1A 2SH
UNITED KINGDOM



Dear Winner,



My name is Mrs. Linda Marcus, on behalf of UK-Millions Lottery/Lotto
Promotion London, United Kingdom;I wish to announce you as one of the 3
lucky winners in the Lotto draw held on Friday March 18th 2008. All 3
winning addresses were randomly selected from a batch of 50,000
international emails. Your email address emerged along side 2 others as a
2nd category winner.Consequently, you have therefore been approved for a
total pay out of #350,000.00(Three Hundred and Fifty Thousand Pounds
Sterling only).

The following particulars are attached to your lotto payment
order:
(I) Serial Batch No: 83200-0
(II) Winning Number: 9,2,9,4,6 Bonus 25,15
(III) Ref No: 175-02906041-216.

Please contact the under mentioned claim officer as soon as possible for the
immediate release of your winnings:The Fund Release Order Foreign Operation
& International

UK-Millions Lottery Center
Contact Person:
Mr. TERRY GAMBO
EMAIL:terry_gambo2002@hotmail .com

Forward the below listed details for immediate commencement of your payment
process:-
1,Your Full Name
2,Wining and Reference numbers:
3,Occupation:
4,Country .
5,Age:
6,Telephone & Mobile number:
7,City :

This email notification is auto-generated and it is valid for four
weeks.Once again on behalf of all our staff, CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Sincerely,
Mrs. ROSE MFULA

The Lotto Awards is proudly sponsored by the African/European Union Lotto
corporation/Microsoft Companies, the Intel Group, Toshiba, Dell computers
Mackintosh and a conglomeration of other international IT companies in order
to promote the FIFA 2010 World Cup to be hosted in SOUTH AFRICA. The lotto
internet draw is organized to encourage the use of the internet and
computers worldwide. We are proud to say that over 200 Million Dollars are
won annually in more than 150 countries worldwide

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam