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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:

• 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.
  • +447031846456 (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.
  • onlineclaims_dept@yahoo.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: "FreeLotto Sweepstakes" <petepenegor@msn.com>
Date: Thu, 20 Oct 2005 01:21:10 +0000
Subject: <<Congratulations...Winning Notification>>

 

 

                            

                                            Prize/Award Notification

We are pleased to inform you of the announcement today 20/10/05 of your selection as one of the five winners of the promotional Free Lotto Sweepstakes held recently as part of our EXPERIMENTAL BONANZA. You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of 900,000.00 British Pounds (Nine Hundred thousand British Pounds only).

We in the Free Lottery Sweepstakes is by this program,Launching our model computer balloting lottery draws, developed and designed to satisfy the cravings of the ever-growing number of participants in our various lottery programs. With funds accrued exclusively from previous draws,payouts to all winners are guaranteed and will be transferred in record time.

After randomly selecting 15,000 participants from an initial database of 300,000 emails all participants were selected through a computer ballot system from the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Canada, Europe, USA and South America as part our International Promotions Program, which was conducted in view of launching ourselves into the Sweepstakes Industry Worldwide and zoning all articipants by their respective continents from across the globe, we produced an extensive list from which you have emerged as one of the winners of the Grand Draw prize.You are to contact our agents by email or fax within a week of receiving this notice. Please find full contact details below:

Mr.Peter Penegor
External service manager,
Free lotto sweepstakes
United Kingdom
Email:onlineclaims_dept@yahoo.co.uk
Tel  :+447031846456
Fax  :+448712473321

In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please remember to quote your reference and batch numbers in every one of your correspondences with your claims agent.
Ref No: AFSL/HTF/12-F892697954
Batch No:74-263-BBN
Zonal Draw No: GMLA2-003
Grand Draw No: 12099

N.B:Steps to claiming your prize;

1.Winners should send to claim officer account detail or address where they want their prize paid or sent.
2.Winners must send their names,address,telephone number and means of identification (international passport or drivers licence)to your claim officer, via email or fax, to process the immediate payment of your prize.
Congratulations once again.

Sincerely,
The Promotions Manager,
The Lotto People
PO Box 42
Peterborough
PE3 8XH
United Kingdom