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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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "claim 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 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.
  • claimoffice_office@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "british lottery" <rev_jameswood@hotmail.com>
Date: Mon, 28 Aug 2006 18:56:46 +0200
Subject: Congratulations contact REV JAMES WOOD

FROM THE DESK OF,
MRS JANET TERRY,
the co-ordinator
NATIONAL BRITISH LOTTERY
PO Box 200
Harrogate
HG1 2YR
LONDON UK

Our Dear Winner,
This is to inform you that You have won the sum of 500, 000 GBP(FIVE
HOUNDRED THOUSAND POUNDS STERLING ) from BRITISH LOTTERY on our 2006 charity
bonanza.been sponsured by the World Bank.
The winning ticket was selected from a Data Base of Internet Email Users,
world wide from which your Address came out as the winning coupon.

We here by urge you to claim the winning amount quickly as this is a
monthly lottery. Failure to claim your winning prize, will result into the
reversion of the fund to our following month draw.

You are therefore requested to contact immediately out Claims Department
below quoting

winning lucky :NUMBER-04378490.
file:ref:w3/990/776,
Batch/Number:004091/2006.

Contact:claim agent (REV JAMES WOOD) (claimoffice_office@yahoo.co.uk)
Provide the following information needed to process your winning claim.

(a) Your full Name..................

(b)and Address....................

(c) Your Telephone and fax numbers ................

(d) Your tax I.D.Number (if any).................

(e) your country of origin ................

(f)age......sex......zip code.........

Congratulations once again this is just a token from world bank and national
british lottery to encourage internate users world wide.
(Note) to start your claim contact our claim agent (REV JAMES WOOD)
(claimoffice_office@yahoo.co.uk)
Provide the following information needed to process your winning claim.
NATIONAL BRITISH LOTTERY ORGANIZATION.
Regards.
MRS.janet terry.
LOTTERY CO -CORDINATOR

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam