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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:
  • "claim 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!

Fraud email example:

From: "mr wiltord howard" <onlinelotterypromo1@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: mr_wiltordhoward@walla.com
Date: Wed, 11 Jan 2006 04:59:17 +0000
Subject: NATIONAL LOTTERY PROMO

NATIONAL LOTTERY
UK-LOTTO
Headquarters: Customer Service
Ref: /DISGIL/763276/03
Batch: 074/05/ZY3 11/01/2005
 
WINNING NOTIFICATION
       We happily announce to you the draw of the UK-National Lotto Sweepstake Lottery International programs held on 30 june, 2005 in UK. Your e-mail address attached to ticket number:26-47-19-26-47-74-46,with Serial number 5073-11 drew the luckynumbers:26-47-19-26-47-74-46 ,which subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd category.
        
You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of BP 500,000.00{FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND BRITISH POUNDS}in cash credited to file REFNO.SGIL/763276/03 .This is from a total cash prize of GBR 10,000,000.00{TEN MILLION GREAT BRITISH POUNDS} shared among the Twenty lucky winners in this category. All participants were selected randomly from World Wide Web site through computer draw system and extracted from over 100,000 companies. This promotion takes place annually.
        
Please note that your lucky winning number fall within our West African Bureau as indicated in your play coupon. In view of this, your GBP500,000.00{FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND BRITISH POUNDS)would be released to you by our payment office in Europe when you must have been cleared by our office in West Africa. Our West african agents will commence process as soon as you contact them to facilitate the release of your funds as soon as possible.You have 1 month to do this.

Your prize awards has been insured in your names and ready for claim. To begin your claims therefore, you are advised on final notice and as a matter of urgency,to contact our licensed and accredited claim agent for Overseas Lottery Winners for the processing of your prize awards winning and payment to your designated bank account after all statutory obligations have been concluded satisfactorily. Contact thus: CONTACT OUR FIDUCIARY;   MR WILTORD HOWARD (MSc) mr_wiltordhoward@walla.com 

with Your Full name...............
Age...................
Sex...............
 Reference Number.............
 Batch Number...............
Country of origin .............
Residential Address.................
Occupation ......................
 Position.................
Telephone And Fax Number............
For due processing and remittance of your prize to you.

with Your Full name...............
Age...................
Sex...............
 Reference Number.............
 Batch Number...............
Country of origin .............
Residential Address.................
Occupation ......................
 Position.................
Telephone And Fax Number............
For due processing and remittance of your prize to you.

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam