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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
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• 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:

• 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.
  • willsonwilliams_fiduciaryagent@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: "Lara Fox" <winalert449@msn.com>
Reply-To: willisonwilliams_fiduciaryagent@yahoo.com
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 2006 04:47:00 +0000
Subject: winning notification


UK National Lottery.
P O Box 1010,
Liverpool, L70 1NL,
UNITED KINGDOM.
Customer Services)
Ref: UK/9420X2/68
Batch: 074/05/ZY369

WINNING NOTIFICATION

We happily announce to you the draw (#951) of the UK NATIONAL
LOTTERY,
online Sweepstakes International program held on 17th of
feburary,2006.
Your e-mail address attached to ticket number: 56475600545 188 with
Serial number 5368/02 drew the lucky numbers: 02-19-28-33-44-49 (bonus
no.21),
which subsequently won you the lottery JACKPOT category i.e match 6.
You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of 10,000(TEN THOUSAND
DOLLAS) in cash credited to file KTU/9023118308/03.
This is from a total cash prize of 40,000shared amongst 4 lucky
winners in this category.

All participants for the online version were selected randomly from
World Wide Web sites through computer draw system and extracted from
over
100,000 unions, associations, and corporate bodies that are listed
online.
This promotion takes place weekly.

Please note that your lucky winning number falls within our European
booklet representative office in Europe as indicated in your play
coupon.
In view of this, your 10,000(TEN THOUSAND Dollas) would be
released to you by any of our payment offices in UK.
Our European agent will immediately commence the process to facilitate
the release of your funds as soon as you contact
him.For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning
information
confidential till your claims is processed and your money remitted to
you in whatever manner you deem fit to claim your prize.
This is part of our precautionary
measure to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program.
Please be warned.

To file for your claim, please contact our fiduciary agent:
Name:Willson Williams
Email:willsonwilliams_fiduciaryagent@yahoo.com
Good luck & congratulation, from me and members of staff of he UK.
NATIONAL LOTTERY.
Yours faithfully,
Mrs. Lora fox.
Online coordinator for UK NATIONAL LOTTERY.
Sweepstakes International Program.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam