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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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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:
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "(ecowas)" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
• 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 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.
  • barrymorewinter@gmail.com

Fraud email example:

From: WEB CASH LOTTEY <1198612@iol.cz>
Reply-To: barrymorewinter@gmail.com
Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2008 11:40:00 GMT
Subject: CONGRATULATION WINNER




Dear Winner,
This is to inform you that you have been selected for a cash prize of
1,334,534 (One Million three Hundred andthirty four thousand,five hundred
andthirty four Pounds Sterlings.)held on the 30th July 2008 in Web cash
lottery,West Africa in conjuction with the United Kingdom.The selection
process was carried out through random selection in our computerized email
selectionsystem(ess) from database of over 250,000 emailaddresses drawn
from which you were selected.
The Web cash lottery is approved by the British Gamming Board and West
Africa (Ecowas). To begin the processing of your prize you are to contact
our claims agent for speed delivery process more infomationas contact our
agent Mr Barrymore Winter
Email :barrymorewinter@gmail.com
Contact him by sending him with the underlisted
informations:
1. Name.........................
2. Address...................
3. Nationality..............
4. Age...........................
5. Occupation.............
6. Sex...........................
7. MaritaStatus..........
8. Phone/Fax..............
Sincerely,Mr Anderson cole
(Zonal Coordinator)

Congratulations!!! from Web Cash Lottery

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam