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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• 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!
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• 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.
  • region_claimofficer@yahoo.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: "WALES INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY PROMO" <wblbfl104@hotmail.com>
Date: Mon, 01 May 2006 05:28:02 -1000
Subject: ***YOUR E-MAIL ACCOUNT HAS WON £97.000.00***

CONGRATULATION!

THIS IS A REAL,THIS IS AN E-MAIL FROM WALES INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY
SUPPORTED
BY BIG LOTTERY FUND

WINNING NOTIFICATION:

>From the Desk of Wales International Lottery Incorprated with Big Lottery
Fund wishes to inform you the results of the E-mail address ballot lottery
international program by Wales held on 26th, April. 2006. Your email account
have been picked as a winner of £,97.000.00.

You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of £,97.000.00
(ninety-sevenThousand British Pound) cash credited to file
KPC/9080118308/02/SHYN. your email address attached in the A Category. All
email addresses were selected through a computer ballot system in which
your email address was selected as one of the lucky winners. Your lucky
number is:- 11,13,26,34,44,48 and bonus ball number is 02.Ref:
EAASL/941OYI/02/SHYNBatch: 12/25/0034

Be adviced to keep your winning information confidential {VERY SECRET} until
your claims has been processed and your money remitted to you. This is part
of our security protocol to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of
this program by fraudulent and scammers.

All winning must be claimed not later than 26th, May.2006 after this date
all unclaimed funds will be returned to Wales as unclaimed. Please note in
order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications please remember to quote
your reference number in all correspondence.

You are therefore advised to contact your claim OFFICER in our regional
branch in UK @ Barrister Paul F.Edwards
Email:region_claimofficer@yahoo.co.uk
for the processing of your winning immediately

Congratulations from the staff, and thank you for being part of email
account users of this program.
Yours Sincerely,
Carol Smith(co-ordinator).

NOTE:YOU ARE ACTOMATICALLY DISQUALIFY IF YOU ARE BELOW 21 YEARS.

PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL.CONTACT YOUR CLAIMS AGENT:
BARRISTER PAUL F.EDWARDS (CLAIM AGENT)

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam