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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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• 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:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "fiduciary agent" (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.
  • +44
• 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.
  • department_megalottery@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: =?utf-8?q?CONGRATULATION=20THIS=20IS=20A=20BRIEF?= <garrett.gaussa@yahoo.com.co>
Reply-To: pww0011@gmail.com
Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:50:14 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: CONGRATULATION THIS IS A BRIEF MAIL TO NOTIFY YOU OF YOUR WINNING


¡Tengo nueva dirección de correo!Ahora puedes escribirme a:garrett.gaussa@yahoo.com.co



- Dear Winner, Euro Millions Lottery in Conjunction with the Mega Million Lottery wish to announce to you the on concluded Lottery program held on the 1st of November 2007. Your Email address/Name was picked through Random Name/Number Generator out of First 1 millions Emails that was selected. We are happy to announce to you that you are the First Star Winner in this Mega Millions online Lottery promotion. You have Won a Total Sum of £ 500,000,00 (Five Hundred Thousand Pounds). Your Lucky Drawn Number is : 10,9,16,4,1,18, 2. The Claim Serial number Is: E-M-M-M-L / 8065190440.ticket Number is : E-M-M-M-L/8065190443. Note : This is a Brief mail to Notify you of your Winning, You are hereby advice to contact :Our Fiduciary agent for official verification and processing of your winning. Our Official Agent Name :Mr.Peter Williams. Email: department_megalottery@yahoo.co.uk Tel: + 44 – 704-570-8705. Congratulations once more from all members and staffs of this program. Management, UK-Mega Millions Lottery.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam