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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:

• 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 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.
  • +447024079879 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
• 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.
  • deskofharpeters@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "tracy campbell" <deskofkimaprivate@msn.com>
Reply-To: deskofalexmills@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2006 06:04:48 +0000
Subject: Congratulations: You have been selected !!!

BRITISH LOTTERY HEADQUARTERS
Customer Service
28 TANFIELD ROAD,
CROYDON.LONDON

Ref: BTL/4910Xi/04
Batch: 12/25/0340

WINNING NOTIFICATION:
We happily announce to you the draw of the BRITISH Sweepstake Lottery
International programs held on the 20th of April, 2006 in London. Your
e-mail address attached to ticket number: 69475600545-721 with Serial number
8867/04 drew the lucky numbers: 31-6-26-13-35-7, which subsequently won you
the lottery in the 2nd category. You are therefore, been approved to claim a
total sum of US$2,500,000.00 (Two million, five hundred thousand, United
States Dollars) in cash credited to file KPC/9080118308/02.This is from a
total cash prize of US $125 Million dollars, shared amongst the first Fifty
(50) lucky winners in this category.
Please note that your lucky winning number falls within our European
booklet representative office in Europe as indicated in our play coupon. In
view of this, your US$2,500,000.00 (Two million, five hundred thousand,
United States Dollars) would be released to you by our affiliate bank in
London. Our agent will immediately commence the process to facilitate the
release of your funds to you as soon as you make contact with him.
All participants were selected randomly from World Wide Web sites through a
computer draw system and extracted from over 100,000 companies. This
promotion takes place annually. 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 a part of our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming
and unwarranted abuse of this program by some unscrupulous elements. Please
be warned.

To file for your claim, please contact our fiduciary agent below;

NAME OF AGENT: Mr. Harry Peters.
EMAIL: deskofharpeters@yahoo.co.uk
Tel: +44702- 407- 9879.

Yours Sincerely,
Mrs. Tracy Campbell.
BRITISH LOTTERY ZONAL ONLINE CO-ORDINATOR.

Note: To avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please quote your
reference/batch numbers in any correspondences with us or our designated
agent. Congratulations once more from all members and staffs of this
program. Thank you for being part of our promotional lottery program.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam