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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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• 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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "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 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.
  • michael_chertoff@myway.com

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr.Michael Chertoff" <clementpeters02@msn.com>
Reply-To: michael_chertoff@myway.com
Date: Tue, 21 Feb 2006 01:15:35 +0000
Subject: WINNING NOTIFICATION:(#524) numbers:04-05-06-14-33-04)

The U.K. National Lottery
12 Bridge Street,
Staines Middlesex TW18 4TP
United Kingdom.
Ref: LSUK/2031/8161/04
Batch: R3/A312-59
http://www.national-lottery.co.uk/player/p/results/results.do




(WINNING NOTIFICATION:
DEAR FRIEND.

We happily announce to you the draw (#524) of the UK NATIONAL LOTTERY,online
Sweepstakes International program held on monday Feb. 20th,2006. Your e-mail
address attached to ticket number: 56475600545
188 with Serial number 5368/02 drew the lucky numbers:04-05-06-14-33-04
which subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd category i.e Thunderball
Jackpot.
You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of £250,000(Two
hundred and fifty thousand pounds) in cash credited to file
KTU/9023118308/03.
All participants for the online version were selected randomly from World
Wide Web sites through computer draw system and extracted from over 100,000
unions, associations, and corporate bodies that are listed online. This
promotion takes place weekly. Please note that your lucky winning number
falls within our European booklet representative office in Europe as
indicated in your play coupon. In view of this, your £250,000(Two hundred
and fifty thousand pounds) would be released to you by any of our payment
offices in Europe.To file for your claim, please contact our fiduciary
agent: Mr.Michael Chertoff
Email: michael_chertoff@myway.com

Provide him with the information below:
1. Name
2. Address
3. Occupation
4. Marital status
5. Age
6. Country(Present Location)
7. Nationality
8. Telephone and Fax numbers.
That way your winnings certificate and all other relevant
documents/paperwork can be prepared for you.
You would be required to show an instrument of identification when cashing
your cheque.i.e.drivers license or international passport.For security
reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information confidential till
your claims is processed and your money remitted to you in whatever manner
you deem fit to claim your prize. This is part of our precautionary measure
to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program. Please be
warned. You can go to our online result site to confirm the value of your
winnings and also get a prize breakdown:-
www.national-lottery.co.uk/player/p/results/results.do
http://www.lottery.merseyworld.com/
Goodluck from me and members of staff of the UK NATIONAL LOTTERY.

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

N.B: Please do not reply to this mail. Contact your Claims agent
immediately.
PLEASE BELOW 20 YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam