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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:
  • "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.
  • sinclairparker05@yahoo.ie

Fraud email example:

From: "IRISH LOTTERY" <irishlotterynotificationonline@msn.com>
Date: Thu, 20 Oct 2005 23:24:01 +0000
Subject: IRISH LOTTERY SWEEPSTAKE(CONGRATULATIONS)

The Irish Lottery
47 Meadow Vale,
Sligo, Ireland.
Ref: LSUK/2031/8161/05
Batch: R3/A312-59
SUCCESS ALERT:
CONGRATULATIONS!!!

We are pleased to announce to you the draw of the
IRISH LOTTERY PROGRAMME
online Sweepstakes International Program held on
SATURDAY 24th SEPTEMBER, 2005.
Your e-mail address attached to ticket number:
56475600545 188 with
Serial number 5368/05 drew the lucky number: 21 which
subsequently won the LOTTO PLUS 1 prize. You have
therefore been
approved to claim a total sum of 350,000.00 Euros
(Three hundred and
fifty Thousand Euros) in cash credited to file
KTU/9023118308/05 of
Irish Lottery.

All participants for the online version were selected
randomly from the
World Wide Web through a 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 350,000.00 Euros would
be released to you
by any
of our payment offices in Europe(UK).
To file for your claim, please contact our fiduciary
agent:
Sinclair Parker
Email:sinclairparker05@yahoo.ie

That way your Winnings Certificate and all other
relevant
documents/paperwork can be prepared for you. Note that
all prize funds
must be claimed
not later than One month. After this date all funds
will be returned to
the LOTTERY TREASURY as unclaimed. In order to avoid
unnecessary delays
and complications, please endeavor to quote your
Reference Number(
LSUK/2031/8161/05) and Bach Number(R3/A312-59)in every
correspondence
with your agent.
Furthermore, should there be any change in your
address, do inform your
claims agent as soon as possible.

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.
Good luck from me and members of staff of the IRISH
LOTTERY.
Yours faithfully,
MARY GRIFFIN(MRS).
Online Co-ordinator for IRISH LOTTERY SWEEPSTAKE
PROGRAMME.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam