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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
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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.
• 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.
  • +4407024020342
• 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.
  • tnl_william_thomson1@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "The National Lottery" <tnl_feliciaclarke@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 1 Aug 2008 07:23:13 -0400
Subject: Random Participated Winners!!!

ATTN: WINNER,

Having concluded a recent special programme, your email address was
amongst the specially selected, with special numbers under a specified
category.

All participants for the online version were selected randomly from the
World Wide Web through a computer draw system and extracted from over
several unions, associations, and corporate bodies that are listed online.

For further detailed information as well as to commence receipts of
entitlement, you MUST FORWARD a copy of this notification as well as your
FULL NAMES and CONTACT TELEPHONE NUMBER to our processing director via
contact information below;

Mr. William Thomson,
Processing Director,
Special Programme Department,
Tel: +44 (0) 702 402 0342
Fax: +44 (0) 700 607 4401
Email: tnl_william_thomson1@yahoo.co.uk

Congratulations once again from me, and entire members of staff of our
firm and it is our hope that you participate in any of our international
programs in the nearest future.

Yours faithfully,
Miss Felicia Clarke,
Special Programme Coordinator,
Special Programme Department

PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL, SEND YOUR RESPONSE TO
tnl_william_thomson1@yahoo.co.uk

************************************************************
DISCLAIMER & CONFIDENTIALITY:
The information contained in this communication is intended solely for the
use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed and others
authorized to receive it, as it may contain confidential or legally
privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient you are
hereby notified that any disclosure, unauthorized use, copying,
distribution or taking any action in reliance on the contents of this
information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have
received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by
responding to this email and then delete it from your system.
THE NATIONAL LOTTERY (TNL) is neither liable for the proper and complete
transmission of the information contained in this communication nor for
any delay in its receipt.
************************************************************

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam