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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:
  • "into your nominated bank account" (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 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.
  • +447040104221 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: infomationdavid@netscape.net
Date: Tue, 21 Feb 2006 05:30:00 -0500
Subject: FILL OUT THE CLAIM FORM AND GET BACK TO ME.

Dear Winner,

We wish to congratulate you and formally inform you
that, you have won the sum of $1,500,000.00 (One
Million,Five Hundred Thousand, United States Dollars)
in the last email-lottery draw, organized by
ELECTRONIK LOTTERY.

We have confirmed the above winning.

You should note that your email address in addition to
millions of company and individual email were
extracted with a software and the addresses were
scrutinized with a ballot system and after the
processes,30 email addresses were selected and they
were shared into 3 categories respectively and which
you are a winner in the 2nd category of $1.5m.
The payment has been approved and a reconfirmation
letter has just been sent to our head office in the
Netherlands,to enable them effect payment from our
paying bank.
The said sum is now deposited in our suspense account
in your favour waiting for the immediate remittance
into your nominated bank account.
Be informed that your winning prize has a hardcover
insurance policy that makes it impossible to make any
deduction of any kind, until the sum is finally
credited into your designated account.

However, our client (ELECTRONIK LOTTERY) has been
notified of this development and the status of your
claim.

Below are the steps you will be following:

1. Furnish us with the details stated below:
a) YOUR NAME:
------------------------------------------------
b) YOUR ADDRESS:
---------------------------------------------
c) YOUR TELEPHONE/FAX NUMBER:
------------------------------------
d) YOUR DATE OF BIRTH:
--------------------------------------
e) YOUR MARITAL STATUS:
--------------------------------------
f) YOUR OCCUPATION:
-------------------------------------------
g) YOUR COUNTRY:
----------------------------------------------
h) YOUR WINNING TICKET NUMBER:
--------------------------------
Send along with a copy of your identity via email attachment or
by fax transmition for vetting process which is a standard practise
just to ensure that we are dealing with the right individual.
This process is vital and urgent following the instruction from our
clients that all prize money should be claimed as soon as possible.

Once again accept our congratulations and we look forward to hearing
from you soon.

Regards.
Mr.David Nelson
TEL:+44 704 010 4221
TEL:+44 703 186 1424
FAX:+44 707 516 7738
___________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam