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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.

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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.
• 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 mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +6613821283 (Thailand, probably a mobile phone)
• 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.
  • nscotty_69@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "TATTS LOTTO" <asiapr@she.com> (may be fake)
Date: Thu, 16 Mar 2006 21:16:59 +0700
Subject: TATTS LOTTO

TATTS LOTTO
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTION
HORSTHUIS, KEIZERSGR 102
1185 CW BANGKOK THAILAND
FROM: THE DIRECTOR OF PROMOTIONS
REF: TL921245/75QT
BATCH: IP/10161/TLP
ATTENTION: Winner,
AWARD FINAL NOTIFICATION:
We are pleased to inform you the release of the result of the TATTS LOTTO
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTION held a
fortnight ago.
You were entered as an independent client with:Reference Number:
TL921245/75QT, and Batch Number
IP/10161/TLP. Your email address attached to the ticket number: 778 that
drew the lucky winning number,
which consequently won the sweepstakes in the second category. You have been
approved for a payment of
$1.000.000, 00 (ONE MILLION DOLLARS.) in cash credited to file with
reference number: TL921245/75QT. This is
from a total cash prize of (TEN MILLION DOLLARS) Shared among the ten lucky
winners.
All participants were selected through a random computer ballot system drawn
from 91,000 (Ninety One
thousand) names of email users around the world, aspart of our international
promotion programme to
promote the use of internet thereby increasing the market share of computer
soft wares.
Due to mix up of some names and addresses, we ask that you keep this award
personal discreet, till your claim
has been processed and your funds remitted to you.This is part of our
security measures to avoid double
claiming or unwarranted taking advantage by other participants or
impersonators. To begin your claim, do
file for the release of your winning by contacting your accredited agent:
Mr Scotty Aroo
TATTS LOTTO SECURITY AGENCY.
TEL: +66-13821283 .
FAX: +66-3821283
Email:nscotty_69@hotmail.com
YOUR SECURITY FILE NUMBER IS V-6772/G9 (keep personal)Remember; your winning
must be claimed not later than
(04/29/2006). Failure to claim your winning prize, it will be added to the
next international lottery
promotion.
Furthermore, Should there be any change in your address, endeavour to inform
your claim's agent as
soon as possible.
Once again, Congratulations.
Yours faithfully,
Ms, Suzan Tessier.
DIRECTOR OF PROMOTION.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam