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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: winnings.uklotto@organizer.net
Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2006 05:14:30 -1200
Subject: *****Congratulations You Won*****

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

We are pleased to announce todays winners of the WALES AND UK INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY PROGRAMS held on

Friday 8th february 2006 You / your company, attached to email ticket number 013-2316-2002-477,

with lotto code/batch number A025-09 drew the winning serial numbers 37-13-34-85-56-42, and

consequently won in category B. You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay of

£1,000,000.00 in cash credited to file REF NO. AST341739DS.

This is from total prize money of £60,000,000.00 shared among the sixty (60) international winners

in the category B. All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from 30,000 names from

Australia, Africa, New Zealand, America, Asia, Europe, USA and North America as part our

International Promotions Program, which is conducted monthly.

Your fund is now deposited with the Finance and Security section and will be insured in your name

shortly.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. We hope with a part of you prize, you will participate in our end

of year high stakes E1.3 billion International lotto. To begin your claim, please contact your

claims officer immediately:

MR PICCAN MOORE
CLAIM AGENT
Tel:0044-704-011-7587
Fax:0044-700-597-8819
Email: pmoore@marfino.net

For due processing and remittance of your prize money to a designated account of your choice,

kindly provide him with the following information: batch and ticket number.

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
MRS. GLADYS COOPER
THE INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY PROMOTIONS

N.B. Any breach of confidentiality on the part of the winners will result to disqualification.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam