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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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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 phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash)
• 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.
  • +447011120382 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
  • +447024021496 (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.
  • missbarrett21@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Lewis Williams" <lewis-williams01@hotmail.co.uk>
Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2006 17:14:55 +0000
Subject: Ref no: EML/ 56-TF-8890776(Claims Procedure)


EURO MILLIONS
Watford, Head Office and Regional Centre Euro Millions,
Tolpits Lane, Watford, Herts,
WD18 9RN

ATTENTION: PRIZE WINNER
Email: missbarrett21@yahoo.co.uk
Batch: 109/91300/EML
Ref no: EML/ 56-TF-8890776



CLAIMS PROCESSING VERIFICATION FORM


I am Mr. Lewis Williams the fiduciary agent assigned to your case. I wish to
congratulate you on your emergence as winner. You are indeed lucky to have
won this lottery. Your email address is amongst those chosen this quarter
from our new Java-based software that randomly selects email addresses from
the web from which winners are selected. You are required to forward the
following details to help facilitate the processing of your claims and
certificate which will employ the release of your winnings.

1. Full names.......................................
2. Phone and Fax....................................
3. Nationality......................................
4. Present Location.................................
5. Occupation..........................................

It is expected that you would forward this information in the next 24hrs to
enable us attend to your winnings. Once we confirm your information, your
payments would be processed.

After you have sent down this information, a certificate will be prepared
for you. This is to be your proof of winning. Be advised that your winnings
would be paid to you in installments of £42,000.00 (Forty-Two Thousand
Pounds). This is done because of the amount won by you; this money would be
paid to you on monthly basis for the next ten (10) months. You are advised
to keep your winning numbers secret to avoid unscrupulous elements from
taking advantage of the situation.

Furthermore, payment of your lottery winnings would be made via the issuance
of a certified Cheque delivered to you by our affiliate Delivery Agency.
Once again, congratulations.

Lewis Williams (Mr.)
Tel: +44 701 112 0382
+44-702 402 14 96
................................................................................................................................................
This email and its attachments are confidential and intended for the
exclusive use of the addressee(s). This email and its attachments may also
be privileged or protected by legal rules. If you have received this by
mistake, please let us know by immediate reply and destruction of the email
and its attachments without copying or forwarding the contents enclosed.













Copyright © 2006 Euro Millions
Inc.

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam