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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:
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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:

• 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)
• 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: UK NATIONAL LOTTERY PROMO <dkantorova@iol.cz>
Reply-To: ukboard123@gmail.com
Date: Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:24:59 GMT
Subject: Ref No: MELI-T/ 17-F044262312




The Free Lotto Sweepstakes
PO Box 42 Peter borough
SE15 2UD
UNITED KINGDOM


UK NATIONAL LOTTERY PROMO 2008!!

Congratulations=2C you have won =A31=2C293=2C634=2E00(GBP) (One Million=2C=
Two Hundred =

and Ninty Three Thousand=2C Six Hundred and Thirty Four Great British Po=
unds)
your e-mail account emerged as a winner in our promotional Uk National =

lottery sweepstakes=2E
Your Ref No=3A MELI-T/ 17-F044262312 with Serial number 5368/08 drew
the lucky number=3A 29 Contact Account Department-MORIS PEDRO
Email=3Aukclaimsdept2008=40live=2Ecom
FILL IN THE BELOW FOR IMMEDIATE CLEARANCE/CLAIMS
FullName=3A=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2EAddress=3A=2E=2E=2E=2E=
=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2EOccupation=3A=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E
Country=3A=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2ETelephone=3A=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=
=2E=2E=2E
Sex=3A=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2EAge=3A=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=
=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E

Sincerely=2C
Mr=2EWILLIAMS JOHNSON
FREE LOTTO ONLINE DIRECTOR
UNITED KINGDOM

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam