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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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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:

• 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.
  • +448701352454 (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.
  • ukemailpromo@netscape.net

Fraud email example:

From: "Linda Moore" <leedemailpromo01@msn.com>
Date: Sat, 21 Jan 2006 00:56:18 +0000
Subject: **LOTTERY WINNING NOTIFICATION**

LEEDS PROMOTIONS
Airport Hale Rd Halebarns
Altrincham Cheshire WA15 8XW UK
Batch No: WD18/0065/04RN
Our Ref: UKNL/255457004/04

TO WINNERS IN OUR PROGRAM

We wish to congratulate you over your success in our computer balloting
sweepstake held on saturday 14th January 2006. This is a millennium
scientific computer game in which email addresses were used. It is a
promotional program aimed at encouraging internet users; therefore you do
not need to buy ticket to enter for the game.

However, your email address was attached to ticket number 034-22478556; with
serial number 129 draw the lucky numbers 06-09-13-15-40-43-02, which
eventually won the lottery in the first category of the draws.

Therefore, you have won a lottery jackpot prize awards of £1,500,000.00 (one
million five hundred thousand pounds Sterling Only) This is from total prize
money of US$30,000,000.00 distributed to winners from 1st to 3rd categories.

Note that this program was largely promoted and sponsored by a group of
philanthropist, industrialists from the internet ware industry and some
other big multinational firms who wish to be anonymous. You may wish to
establish contact via e-mail with the particulars presented below
citing the batch and reference numbers to this letter. Telephone lines are
open between the hours of 8.00am - 7.30pm on Monday through Friday

Customer Service Unit,
Tel/Fax No: +44-870-135-2454
Email: ukemailpromo@netscape.net
Contact person: MR STANLEY O'BRIEN.

Our winners are assured of the utmost standards of confidentiality, and
press anonymity until the end of proceedings, and beyond where they so
desire.

Be further advised to maintain the strictest level of confidentiality until
the end of proceedings to circumvent problems associated with fraudulent
claims.

CONGRATULATIONS !!!

At your disposal, we remain.
Very Truly Yours,
LINDA MOORE(Mrs.),
Director.
International Promotions Unit,
UK Leeds Promotions LOTTERY,
Airport Hale Rd Halebarns
Altrincham Cheshire WA15 8XW UK

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam