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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:

• 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")
  • "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!
• 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.
  • +447092873205 (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.
  • tomharkins001@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "santex_exporters011" <santex_exporters011@terra.com.mx>
Date: Thu, 22 Jun 2006 03:00:50 -0600
Subject: UK LOTTERY WINNER(CONGRATULATION)!!!




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

W I N N I N G N O T I F I C A T I O N

We happily announce to you the draw (#1094) of the LOTTO WINNING under the UK NATIONAL LOTTERY, online Sweepstakes International program held on Saturday 17th June, 2006.
Your e-mail address attached to ticket number: 56475600545 188 with serial number 5368/02 drew the lucky numbers;

===================================
25 26 33 40 41 47 10
===================================
which subsequently won you one (1) of the Jackpot Prize. You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of £5,526.247 (Five Million Five Hundred and Twenty Six Thousand Two Hundred and Forty Seven Pounds Sterling) in cash credited to file KTU/9023118308/03.

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 on-line. 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 £5,526.247 would be released to you by any of our Payment Offices in Europe.

Our European agent will immediately commence the process to facilitate the release of your funds as soon as you contact him.
To file for your claim, please contact our Fiduciary Agent:
Name: Mr. Tom Harkins
Email: tomharkins001@yahoo.co.uk
Fax: +44-709-287-3205
Tel: +44-703-195-7038

Provide him with the information below:
1. NAME:
2. ADDRESS:
3. OCCUPATION:
4. AGE:
5. SEX:
6. NATIONALITY:
7. COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE:
8. TELEPHONE NUMBER:
9. FAX NUMBER:
10. DRAW NUMBER ABOVE: 1094

That way your Winnings Certificate and all other relevant documents/paperwork can be prepared for you. You would be required to show an instrument of identification when cashing your cheque i.e Drivers License or International Passport.

Our winners are assured of the utmost standard of confidentiality and press anonymity until the end of proceedings and beyond where they so desire. 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.

Goodluck from me and members of staff of the UK NATIONAL LOTTERY.

Yours faithfully,
Richard K. Lloyd
Online Co-ordinator for UK NATIONAL LOTTERY
Sweepstakes International Program



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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam