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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
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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
• 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.
  • +447023055552 (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.
  • joebagnall@excite.com

Fraud email example:

From: "honda promoaward" <hondapromoaward@msn.com>
Reply-To: agentjamesfredmond@earthlink.net
Date: Sat, 18 Feb 2006 13:16:49 +0000
Subject: WINNING NOTIFICATION

HONDA COMPANY UK.
An Affiliate of Honda Uk.
28 TANFIELD ROAD,
CROYDON.

LONDON.

                                   AWARD NOTIFICATION

   We are pleased to inform you of the release, of the long awaited results of the HONDA CAR INTERNATIONAL PROMOTION PROGRAM held in November, 2005.You were entered as dependent clients with: Reference SERIAL NUMBER: 652-662 and  Batch number AT-040SB06-03. Your email address attached to the ticket number: 2752246896 that drew the lucky winning number, which consequently won the sweepstake in the first category,in four parts. You have been approved for a payment of 500,000.00euros(FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND EUROS.)in cash credited to file reference number:IPL/4249859609/WP1.This is from a total cash prize of five million euros shared among the ten international winners in first categories.Along with a New Honda FR-V. 

 

Congratulations!!!!!
All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from 50,000 (Fifty thousand) names of email users around the world, as part of our internat ional promotion program. Due to mixed up of some names and addresses,we ask that you keep this award personal, till your claims has been processed and your funds remitted to you.This is part of our security measures to avoid double claiming or unwarranted   participants or  impersonators, taking advantage of the situation.You are to contact your/our-accredited agent for your claim:

MR.JOE BAGNALL
HONDA CLAIMING SECURITY AGENCY.
Email:joebagnall@excite.com

Phone contact:+44 702 305 5552

He is your agent, and responsible for the processing and transfer of your winnings to you. YOUR SECURITY FILE NUMBER IS W-91237-H°67/B4 (keep personal) Remember, your winning must be claimed on time. Failure to claim your winning/ fund it will be added to next 10,000.000 euros AND CAR international lottery program. Furthermore, should there be any change in your address, do inform your claims agent as soon as possible. Once again ongratulations.
Yours Sincerely,
MRS LISA FARRAH.

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam