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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:
  • "hundred thousand united states dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
• 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.
  • 00447040107788
• 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.
  • cometfina@yahoo.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: "Darren smith" <darrensmith05@msn.com>
Reply-To: cometfina@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 20:21:05 +0000
Subject: CONGRATS YOU ARE A WINNER

THE NATIONAL LOTTERY
12 BRIDGE STREET,
STAINIES MIDDLESEX TW18 4TP
UNITED KINGDOM.
FROM: THE DESK OF THE DIRECTOR OF PROMOTIONS,
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT,
REF: AST341739DS

We are pleased to inform you of the announcement today of winners of the
NATIONAL LOTTERY INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS held on 21 December, 2005. You /
your company, attached to ticket number 013-2316-2002-477, with serial
number A025-09 drew the lucky numbers 37-13-34-85-56-42, and consequently
won in category B.You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay of
Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars Only in cash credited to file
REF NO. REF: AST341739DS. All participants in this Lottery Program have been
selected randomly through a computer Ballot System drawn from over 200,000
Companies and 30,000,000 individual emails address from all search engines
and web sites from Australia, New Zealand, America, Asia, Europe, USA and
North America as part of our International Promotions Program.Due to the mix
up of some numbers and names, we ask that you keep this award strictly from
public notice until your claim has been processed and your money remitted to
your account. This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming
or unscrupulous acts by participants of this program.To begin your claim,
please contact your claims officer immediately:
MR.PETER MOORE
CLAIMS DEPT. MANAGER,
COMET FINANCE & INSURANCE LTD
Tel: 0044-704-010-7788
Email:cometfina@yahoo.co.uk
For due processing and remittance of your prize money to a designated
account of your choice, kindly provide him with the following information:
NOTE: In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please
remember to quote your reference number in every one of your correspondences
with your officer. Furthermore, should there be any change of your address,
do inform your claims officer as soon as possible. Congratulations again
from all our staff and thank you for being part of our promotions program.
Sincerely,
THE DIRECTOR OF PROMOTIONS
MR.MARK SMITH
THE NATIONAL LOTTERY
N.B. Any breach of confidentiality on the part of the winners will result to
disqualification.
******************************************************
This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and
intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they
are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify
the system manager.
Office Of National Lottery.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam