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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

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

• 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)
• 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.
  • +447011149595 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2009 17:46:59 -0500
Subject: YOUR EMAIL WAS PICKED.

The UK National Lottery.
P O Box 1104 ,
W1T3JH LONDON ,
UNITED KINGDOM
(Customer Services)
Batch: 178/07/OM248
Ref: UK/8746B1/77

WINNING NOTIFICATION
Your ticket number: 14-07-9-39-09 with Serial number 5368/05 drew the lucky
number: 55 Congratulations, you have just won yourself £1,750,000.00
(One Million Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Pounds Sterling) in the satellite software
email lottery conducted by UK NATIONAL LOTTERY in which e-mail addresses are
picked randomly by software powered by the internet. Your email address was
amoungthose chosen for this quarter(no ticket was sold) and you are to contact our
Financial Controller for Clearance. Here are the contact info:

You are to forward the following details to enable us clear your file
for immediate payment

Mr.SALMON GRIFFITH (CLAIMS OFFICER)
Email: claimsdeptukon_pgm@live.com
Tel: +44 (701) 114 9595

__________________________________
Provide him with the information below:
1.Name:
2.Address:
3.Marital Status:
4.Occupation:
5.Age:
6.Sex:
7.Nationality:
8.Country Of Residence:
9.Telephone Number:
10.Fax Number:
11.Draw Number above:

Yours faithfully,
King Mae Jean
Online coordinator for UK NATIONAL LOTTERY Sweepstakes International Program.


Confidentiality Notice:
-------------------------
Please note that this email, and any files that may be attached to it,is/are
confidential and is/are intended for the sole use of the individual(s) or
entity(ies) to which it/they is/are addressed. Any use,distribution,copying
or disclosure by any other person or entity is strictly prohibited under
applicable law(s). If you received this email in error,please notify the
sender by return email and delete the original message (making sure it is
also deleted from the Deleted Items folder of your mail client).


Opinions, conclusions and other information in this message that do not
relate to official business of INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY and insurance shall be
understood to be neither given nor endorsed by INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY finance
and insurance when addressed to comet finance and insurance clients; and any
information contained in this email is subject to the terms and conditions of
the governing client's contract(s).

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam