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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
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
• How to report 419 spam to us
• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• 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!

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: charriotlottoint1@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Wed, 05 Nov 2008 05:28:27 GMT
Subject: You Have Won Charriot Lottery




Serial No=3A 51622
Ref No=3A NL/WIN/008/07/03/

CHARRIOT INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY
=

We wish to congratulate you over your email success in our computer bal=
loting sweepstake held on 04/11/2008=2E This is a millennium scientific=
computer game in which email addresses were used=2EIt is apromotional p=
rogramme aimed at encouraging internet users=3B therefore you do not ne=
ed to buy ticket to enter for it=2C You have been approved for one of t=
he prizes along side four other lucky winners=2EYour prize is worth =A41=
=2C000=2C000=2E00 (One Million Euros)=2C as you won in the forth Categ=
ory of the programme=2E
To file for your claim=2C please contact our verification department=3A
Verification Department
Mr=2EGibert Donald
INTERNATIONAL REMITTANCE DIRECTOR
1 Netherland Square=2C Canary Wharf=2C
Astardam NL2115 Nertherland=2E
Email=3Acharriotlottoint1=40yahoo=2Ecom=2Ehk

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam