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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:
  • "from: the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "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 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.
  • equitylondon22@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Date: Tue, 25 Nov 2008 05:08:12 +0200
Subject: AWARD NOTIFICATION

UK INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY
HOUSE 32 HILTON DRIVE,
LIVERPOOL, L70 1NL.
UNITED KINGDOM.
FROM: THE DESK OF THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER,
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT,
REF: EKS255125600304 AND BATCH NO: 54/1017/I

AWARD NOTIFICATION
we are pleased to inform you of the announcement today, 12th of November,
2008 of winners of THE UK INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY PROGRAMS held on 28th of
October 2008 as part of our year bonanza.
You have won the UK International lottery; your ticket number
034-1416-4612 750, with serial number 6521-11 drew the lucky numbers
31-51-22-24-39-43, and consequently won the lottery in category C.
You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of £1.2Million
in cash credited to file REF: EKS255125600304. This is from total prize money of
£16,800,000.00 shared among 14 winners
in this category. All participants were selected through a computer
balloting system drawn from 25,000 names from Middle East, Asia, Africa,
Canada, Europe and North America and Oceania as part our International
Promotions Program, which is conducted annually.
CONGRATULATIONS!
Your fund is now deposited with EQUITY INVESTMENT LIMITED, a finance company,
Insured in your name. Due to the mix up of some numbers and names, we ask
that you keep this award strictly from public notice until your claim has
been processed and your money remitted to your account. This is part of
our security protocol to avoid double claiming or unscrupulous acts by
participants of this program.
To begin your claim, please contact your claims agent;
MR. PAUL CHARLES
EQUITY INVESTMENT LIMITED,
132 BLACKBURN ROAD,
BOLTON BL7 9RP ENGLAND,
UK.
TEL: 44:7031826932
EMAIL: equitylondon22@hotmail.com
for due processing and remittance of your prize money to a designated account of your choice.
Remember, you must contact your claim agent immediately, if you do not
contact then, all funds will be returned as unclaimed. All correspondences
to MR.PAUL CHARLES should be sent by email.
Sincerely,
SHIRLEY JENSEN.
THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER,
THE INTERNATIONAL LOTTO UK
N.B. Any breach of confidentiality on the part of the winners will result to
Disqualification. Please Contact your claim agent at:
equitylondon22@hotmail.com

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam