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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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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• 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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash)
• 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: COLIN TERRY <colinterry_14@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2006 07:10:03 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: RESPOND ASAP.


Dear Winner,

I received your mail and have been informed that you are one of the winners of the UK PROMOTION/PRIZE AWARD DEPT.

You are to provide the following information to facilitate your claim:

1. A duly completed Prize Award Verification & Payment Form to enable this office verifiy, process, approve and have your cheque and winning Certificate couriered to you by postal mail.

2. Your prefered mode of payment.

The requested information about will enable us verify and refer you to our affiliate courrier company/paying bank On receipt of your dulY completed Prize Award Verification Form, I'll then email you the contact details of our affiliate courrier company/paying bank , so that your wining prize can be sent to you by postal mail or bank transfer.

I strongly advice you to adhere and comply to the instructions above in order to avoid disqualification of your claim.

Note that it is against the policies of this program for any staff of
this program to involve in any matter relating to our client's claim.

So you are adviced not to suggest any kind of involvement to any of our
staffs that may attract dis-qualification of our prize claim.

To enable us file in your name for payment, please do provide the
following informations:
1.YOUR FULLNAME:..................................................
2.YOUR SEX:.............................................................
3.YOUR ADDRESS:....................................................
4.YOUR FAX/PHONE NUMBER :.................................
5.YOUR OCCUPATION:...............................................
6.YOUR COMPANY'S NAME:......................................
7.YOUR AGE:.............................................................
8.YOUR REF NUMBERS:..............................................
************************************************************************


PAYMENT OPTIONS( CHOOSE AND TICK ONE OF THE FOLLOWING OPTIONS BELOW) :

CHEQUE...........................
BANK TRANSFER..............
POSTAL MAILING ADDRESS: (WHERE THE CHEQUE AND PRIZE
WINNING
CERTIFICATE WILL BE COURRIERED TO):
NAME OF
RECEIVER:............................................
ADDRESS..............................................
CITY.................................................
ZIP CODE.............................................
STATE/PROVINCE.......................................
COUNTRY..............................................

You are adviced to keep your winning numbers to yourself so that nobody
can make claim on your winnings.


Congratulations once again.

Yours faithfully,
COLIN TERRY.



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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam