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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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• What can you do when you receive 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:

• 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:
  • "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • ",000,000" (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!
• 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.
  • +34
• 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.
  • yprize@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Your Prize <yprizes@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:24:38 +0200
Subject: BE INFORMED.


EURO MILLIONS
AWARD/PROMOTIONAL DEPARTMENT
MADRID, SPAIN.
EMAIL-LOTTERY AWARD PROMOTIONAL PROGRAMME.

We are pleased to inform you that your EMAIL ADDRESS has been selected as one =
of the 10 lucky winners in the email lottery programme conducted by the EURO =
MILLIONS.

The late release of this result was due to difficulties encountered in =
sorting out mixed up numbers and email addresses. All 10 winning addresses =
was randomly selected from a batch of 500,000,000 international emails. Your =
email address emerged alongside with 10 others as a Number "3" winner in this =
year's euro millions award Draw.

HOW WAS THE SELECTION DONE?

Most recently the foundation set up the NEW HOPE LOTTERY to give out prizes =
based on the computer balloting system (THEREFORE YOU DO NOT NEED TO BUY A =
TICKET TO ENTER FOR IT. YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS WAS RANDOMLY SELECTED AS A =
WINNER). As a Number "3" winner, your lucky email address was selected by the =
email computer balloting device, where only email addresses are sorted, from =
a total number of 500,000,000 international email addresses drawn from all =
over the globe, only ten winners emerged in this category.

You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of (750,200.00)(Seven =
Hundred and Fifty Thousand, Two Hundred Euros Only).

Below are the particulars attached to your LUCKY WINNING EMAIL.

The file Ref number: EM/39078/ES
Result winning numbers: 08-13-22-41-48/02-06
Email ticket number: 85434-77
Batch number: EM/5074/ES

To immediately claim your prize, contact your claim agent.

SEND REQUIRED INFORMATION BELOW TO YOUR CLAIM AGENT
Contact:
Mr. Michael Robert
Foreign Operational Manager,
calle Comedias 16
Ayuntamient de Madrid, Spain.
Tel: +34.63.41.22.799
E-mail: yprize@gmail.com

VERIFICATION FORM

1. FULL NAMES: _______________________________
2. ADDRESS: __________________________________
3. SEX: _______________
4. AGE: ________
5. MARITAL STATUS: ___________________
6. OCCUPATION: _______________________
7. E-MAIL ADDRESS: ___________________
8. TELEPHONE NUMBER: ________________
9. WINNING NUMBER: _______________
10.EMAIL TICKET NUMBER: ___________________
11.REFERENCE NUMBER: ______________
12.AMOUNT WON: ______________________

The above claim agent will assist you in the processing and remittance of =
your winning prize (funds) to you, please contact him immediately to proceed =
with the claim process.

Luis Juan Carlos (Snr)
Managing Director.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam