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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:

• 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")
  • "claims office" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "hundred thousand united state dollars" (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)
  • ",500,000" (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)
  • "00,000.00" (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)
  • "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
• 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.
  • claims_zain@yahoo.com.hk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "MONOPOLY ONLINE LOTTERY" <monopoly@strompost.com>
Reply-To: claims_zain@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:02:35 +0100 (BST)
Subject: MONOPOLY ONLINE LOTTERY LUCKY WINNER.

MONOPOLY ONLINE LOTTERY
Lot 332-333 (1st Floor),
Central Road East,
93300 Kuching,
Sarawak, Malaysia


You have Won in the MONOPOLY ONLINE LOTTERY held on the 5th of September,2008. You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay
out of TWO MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATE DOLLARS
($2,500,000.00USD) in cash

The following are your winning Informations to be kept confidential:

TICKET NUMBER ------------------023-1856-790-279,
SERIAL NUMBER ------------------5073-10
LUCKY NUMBERS ------------------ 43-58-42-37-69-72
BONUS No. 7.
REFERENCE NUMBER----------------- MOL/26510460037/02

All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn
from 30,000 names from Australia, New Zealand, America, Europe, North
America, Asia, and Africa as part of International Promotions Program.

You are requested to contact your claims officer MR. Arkman Zain,to
assist you with the processing of your winnings and subsequent payments.

==================================================================================================================
PRIZE RELEASE DEPARTMENT
Lot 332-333 (1st Floor),
Central Road East,
93300 Kuching,
Sarawak, Malaysia
TEL: +60169079006
EMAIL: claims_zain@yahoo.com.hk
MR. Arkman Zain
==================================================================================================================

Yours Truly,
Mrs.Faustina Butcher.
Online coordinator,
MONOPOLY ONLINE LOTTERY,
Sweepstakes International Program.
Open 7 days 8am-11pm.

N.B.Please do not reply to this mail. Contact your claim agent immediately

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam