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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:
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
• 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.
  • pmarketingdept@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "PEPSI BOTTLING COMPANYPLC" <pmarketingdept@hotmail.com>
Date: Sat, 04 Oct 2008 19:57:36 -0700
Subject: YOU ARE A WINNER OF 2008 PEPSI ONLINE PROMO

PEPSI PROMOTIONS 2008.

We are pleased to inform you of the result of the just
concluded annual
final draws held on the 20th September, 2008 PEPSI Company
Worldwide
Promotion, your email was among the 9 Lucky winners who
won ?
£250.000.00POUNDS each on the PEPSI Company.

However the results were released on the OCTOBER 1st, 2008
and your email
was attached to ticket number (PSPPR2008) and ballot number
(BN:225182008/20)
The online draws was conducted by a random selection of
email addresses
from an exclusive list of 29,031 E-mail addresses of
individuals and
corporate bodies picked by an advanced automated random
computer search
from the internet. However, no tickets were sold but all
email addresses
were assigned to different ticket numbers for representation
and privacy.

The selection process was carried out through random
selection in our
computerized email selection machine (TOPAZ) from a database
of over
290,000 email addresses drawn from all the continents of the
world.

This Lottery is approved by the British Gaming Board and
also Licensed by
the The International Association of Gaming Regulators
(IAGR).This lottery
is the 3rd of its kind and we intend to sensitize the
public.

In other to claim your £250,000.00POUNDS prize winning,
which has been
deposited in a designated bank. However,you will have to
fill the form
below and send it to the Promotion manager of The PEPSI
Company for
verification and then you will be directed to the bank where
a cheque of
£250,000.00POUNDS has already been deposited in your
favour.

NAME:.....................................
AGE:........................................
SEX:........................................
ADDRESS:...............................
EMAIL:....................................
TEL:...................................
MOBILE PHONE:.....................
OCCUPATION:.........................
COMPANY:..............................
COUNTRY:...............................

Please you are advised to complete the form and send it
immediately to
our Promotion manager through email or fax for prompt
collection of your
fund from the designated bank.

(CONTACT PROMOTION MANAGER)

Name: Mrs. Patricia Smith
Phone # : 447011150911

E MAIL: pmarketingdept@hotmail.com

You are to keep all lotto information away from the general
public
especially your ticket number and ballot number. (This is
important as a
case of double claims will not be entertained).

*Staff of PEPSI Company are not to partake in this Lottery
PLEASE BE WARNED*

Accept my hearty congratulations once again!

Yours faithfully,
Mrs. Daisy Louis.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam