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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 office" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • ",000,000" (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.
  • pastorphillpclark@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Harding Mike" <M.Harding@salford.ac.uk>
Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2009 08:21:22 -0000
Subject: AWARD APPROVAL





Dear Winner,
We are pleased to inform you that as a result of our recent UK NATIONAL
LOTTERY DRAWS (#679) held on the 26th of January, 2009.
Your e-mail address attached to ticket number: 78945327856619 with serial
number 445/02 which consequently won in the 2nd category with
the following Winning Numbers 6,8,10,13,22,32 Bonus No. 3.
You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of £1,750,000.00
POUNDS STERLING.{One Million Seven Hundred And
Fifty Thousand Pounds sterling}.Note that all participants in this lottery
program have been selected randomly through a computer ballot system
drawn from over 200,000 companies and 30,000,000 individual email
addresses from all search engines and web sites.
This program is strictly for international participants ONLY!
You have to send following details in order to fascilitate the processing
and release of your winning.
Name: ..............................
Nationality:........................
Country of residence: ..............
Tel number: ........................
Occupation: ........................
Sex: ...............................
Age:................................
Winning E-mail Address:.............
Draw Number:........................
Amount Won:.........................
Ticket Number:......................
Winning Numbers:....................
Serial Number:......................
This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claims and
unwarranted abuse of this program by some winners.You arerequested to
contact your
claims officer Mr William Preacher,to assist you with the processing of your
winnings and subsequent payments.
--------------------------------------------
Claimsofficer:Pastor Phillip Clark
Email: pastorphillpclark@gmail.com
--------------------------------------------
Yours Truly,
Harding Mike

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam