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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 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)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "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)
• 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.
  • +447023081521 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
• 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.
  • rev_albertwonder1@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Uk National Lottery Commission" <mary_wood228@msn.com>
Reply-To: rev_albertwonder1@hotmail.com
Date: Wed, 08 Oct 2008 06:35:34 +0000
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS!!!

National Lottery Commission
Address:101, Wigmore St, London,
W1U 1QU,United Kingdom.
www.national-lottery.co.uk

Dear winner,

This is to inform you that your email have emerged as a lucky winner of
800,000.00 Pounds Sterling in this month's lottery promo conducted and
organized by the Uk National Lottery Commission.

YAHOO! Hotmail! Aol!Rediffmail!Gmail! and many other email service networks
collects all the email addresses of their users round the globe that are
active online, among the millions that subscribed to their email networks,
2 people are selected monthly to benefit from this promo and your email has
been selected as the prize winner and you titled to claim your prize.

Stated below are your identification numbers:

BATCH NUMBER:NL09102XN
REFERENCE NUMBER:NL35447XN
PIN:NL09788

These identification numbers fall within the Hyde park claim zone and you
are required to contact your claims agent to claim your prize.

Contact Details of Your Claims Agent;

Agent Name:Rev. Albert Wonder
E-Mail: rev_albertwonder1@hotmail.com
Tel:+447023081521

You are advised to send the below requested informations to your Claims
Agent to assist him facilitate the release of of your fund to you.

First name..............................
Last Name.............................
Country..............................
Contact Address.....................
Telephone Number................
Fax Number............................
Marital Status.........................
Occupation.............................
My Date of birth......................
Sex........................................

NOTE:You must keep your winning notice confidential until your prize money
is remitted to you.This will help reduce the number of false claims attempts
we receive here in our office.

Congrats!!!
Mrs Mary Wood.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam