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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:
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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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "claims 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.
  • +447031904643 (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.
  • k_morgan30@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "MARTINS.K Lloyd" <m_lioyd13@yahoo.co.in>
Date: Mon, 26 Jun 2006 09:57:33 -0700
Subject: Hello



Dear Sir/Madam,
The National Lottery
P O Box 1010
Liverpool, L70 1NL
UNITED KINGDOM
(Customer Services)
+447031904643
Ref: UK/9420X2/68
Batch: 074/05/ZY369
Date:26/6/2006

WINNING NOTIFICATION:
We happily announce to you the draw (#1009) of the UK
NATIONAL LOTTERY, online Sweepstakes International
program held on JUNE 20, 2006. Your e-mail
Address attached to ticket number: 56475600545 188
with Serial number 5368/02 drew the lucky numbers:
01-40-43-44-48-49 (bonus no.02), which subsequently
won You the lottery in the 2nd category i.e.match 5
plus bonus. You have therefore been approved to
claim a total sum of £1,000,000 (one million pounds
sterling) in cash credited to file

KTU/9023118308/03.This is from a total cash prize of
£7,782,260 (seven million, seven hundred and eighty-two
thousand, two hundred and sixty pounds sterling) shared
amongst the nine (9) lucky winners in this category
i.e. Match 5 plus!Bonus.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 £778,226 (seven hundred and seventy-eight thousand,
two hundred and twenty-six pounds sterling) play 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 make
contact.

For security reasons, you are advised to keep your
winning information confidential till your claim is
processed and your money remitted to you in What ever
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 fill
the form below and send it to the claims agent:

Find the contact info below:

MR,KEVIN MORGAN
Email:k_morgan30@yahoo.co.uk
Phone number:+447031904657

Yours faithfully,
MARTINS.K Lloyd.
Online coordinator for UK NATIONAL LOTTERY
Sweepstakes International Program

NATIONAL LOTTERY
(Form HLP)
REFERENCE NUMBER: UK/9420X2/68
FULL ...............................................
COMPANY : ...........................................
FULL ADDRESS:...........................................
SEX:.................................
AGE...................................
OCCUPATION.............................
TEL.......................FAX................. (If any)
COUNTRY................................
E-MAIL..................................
HAVE YOU A PASSPORT OR LICENCE.............(identification on delivery)
INDICATE PREFERRED MODE OF PRIZE COLLECTION:
(A) CHEQUE
(B) DRAFT
(C) BANK TRANSFFER
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF COMPANY/ INDIVIDUAL:
.................................................................
.................................................................
................................................................
____________________________
Date.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam