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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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "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 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.
  • +447031845244 (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.
  • fiduciary_claimsagent05@london.net

Fraud email example:

From: "RICHARD LYOUD" <info_uknationallottery2005@hotmail.com>
Date: Sun, 23 Oct 2005 00:25:02 +0000
Subject: WINNING NOTIFICATION!!!

 

Dear Sir/Madam

The National Lottery

P O Box 1010 gnb
Liverpool, L70 1NL
UNITED KINGDOM
(Customer Services)
+447031845244 
 (8am-6pm)uk GMT TIME1
Ref: UK/9420X2/68
Batch: 074/05/ZY369

                 WINNING NOTIFICATION:
We happily announce to you the draw (#1019) of  the UK
NATIONAL LOTTERY,online Sweepstakes International program
held on Wed 28 SEPT, 05, Your e-mail address
attached to ticket number: 56475600545 188 with Serial
number 5368/02 drew the lucky numbers:21-32-41-42-43-46, and a bonus
number of (17)
which subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd
category.You have therefore been approved to claim a total
sum of £251,420  (two hundred and fifthy-one thousand,four hundred
and twenty pounds) in cash credited to file
KTU/9023118308/03.This is from a total cash prize of   £1,005,680  
shared amongst the  (4) 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 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 playcoupon. In view of this, your £251,420  (two hundred and
fifthy-one thousand,four hundred
and twenty pounds)  
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 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.
To file for your claim, please contact our fiduciary
agent:

MR CHRISTOPHER THOMAS

Email: fiduciary_claimsagent05@london.net

NATIONAL LOTTERY.
Yours faithfully,
Richard K. Lloyd.
Online coordinator for UK NATIONAL LOTTERY
Sweepstakes International Program.

Goodluck from me and members of staff of the UK

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam