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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:

• 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.
  • babra31smith@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: "Universal Lotto" <universallottoaward5@hotmail.co.uk>
Date: Thu, 02 Feb 2006 01:48:13 +0000
Subject: AWARD NOTIFIATION!!!

From: The director of the Prize Award Department
Reference number:EG/38807886091/05
Batch number:340/1608/RDL
AWARD NOTIFIATION!!!

Attn:Winner
We are pleased to inform you of the result of the Universal netherlands
sweepstakes lottery International promotion programs held on the 31st of
Dec, 2005. Your e-mail address attached to ticket number 033-1146993-750
with serial number 3-15-16-21-34-36, which consequently
won in the 3rdcategory, you have therefore been approved for alump sum pay
out of $2.5million in cash credited to file number EG/38807886091/05.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Your fund is now deposited with a company insured in your name. 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 paid to you.

This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming
orunscrupulous acts by participants of this program. We hope with a part of
you prize, you will participate in our end of year high stakes
US$1.3 billion international lottery.


To file for your claim, please contact your processing manager:

Ms.Babra Smith
Email:babra31smith@yahoo.com

For due processing and remittance of your prize to a designated account of
your choice.Be categorically inform that any necessary
obligation/requirement should be met by winners before collection of your
winnings.

Thanks and congratulations once again to you
Mrs.Tina Turner

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam