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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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• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "fiduciary 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!
• 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.
  • deskofbrainhunt@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "catherine whitney" <contacs_whitey@msn.com>
Date: Wed, 01 Mar 2006 04:04:43 +0000
Subject: YOU HAVE BEEN SELECTED

ipble28 TANFIELD ROAD
CROYDON.LONDON
Batch: 074/05/ZV369
Ref: UK/9420X2/68

              UK LOTTERY NOTIFICATION DESK
We happily announce to you  the draw (#1006) of the UK INTERNATIONAL
LOTTERY, online Sweepstakes International program held on 25
February,2006.

Your e-mail address  attached  to ticket number: 56475600545 188 with
Serial number 5368/02 drew the lucky numbers:
(19)-(22)-(30)-(35)-(44)-(48)bonus #(03).Which subsequently won you
the lottery in the 2nd category i.e match 6 plus bonus.

You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of  #250,000
(Two  hundred and fifty thousand pound sterling) in cash credited to
file KTU/9023118308/03.
To file for your claim, please contact our fiduciary agent:

MR .BRAIN HUNT.
E-MAIL: deskofbrainhunt@yahoo.com

Yours faithfully,
CATHERINE WHITNEY (Mrs.)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam