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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery 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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "fiduciary 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.
  • travelvin_2005@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr.Peter Mark" <pet_mar_077@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 20 Oct 2005 13:12:56 +0100
Subject: WINNING NOTIFICATION...YOU HAVE WON


The National Lottery
P O Box 1010
Liverpool, L70 1NL
UNITED KINGDOM.
U K/LOTTO/2005.

Date:14-09-2005.
(Customer Services)
Ref: UK/9420X2/68
Batch: 074/05/ZY369

WINNING NOTIFICATION:

We happily announce to you the draw (#953) of the UK NATIONAL
LOTTERY,online Sweeps 14th September,2005. Your e-mail address attached to
ticket number:56475600545 188 with Serial number 5368/02 drew the lucky
numbers: 12-18-22-24-32-33(bonus no.), which subsequently won you the
lottery in the 2nd category i.ematch 5 plus bonus. You have therefore been
approved to claim a total sum of £1,000,000.00 (One Million Pounds Sterling)
in cash credited to file KTU/9023118308/03.

This is from a total cash prize of £10,000,000.00 shared amongst the first
four (10) lucky winners in this category i.e Match 5 plus bonus.All
participants for the online version were selected randomly from World Wide
Web sites through computer draw system and extracted from over 200,000
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 £1,000,000.00 (One
Million Pounds Sterling) would be released to you by any of our payment
offices in Europe.Our European agent will immediately commence the process
to facilitate the release of your funds as soon as you contact him.

For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information
confidential till your claim 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.

To file for your claim, please contact our fiduciary agent:
BARS. VINCENT C. MBAH.Email:travelvin_2005@yahoo.com


Goodluck from me and members of staff of the UK NATIONAL LOTTERY.

Yours faithfully,



Peter Mark,
PHONE NUMBER:44-7031844096
Online coordinator for UK NATIONAL LOTTERY,Sweepstakes International
Program.


NOTE: ALL WINNERS ARE ADVISED TO CLAIM THEIR WON PRIZE ON OR BEFORE 19TH
NOV. 2005 OTHERWISE IT MUST BE RETURNED AS UNCLAIMED AND EVENTUALLY BE
DONATED TO CHARITY HOMES.

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam