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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:
  • "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 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.
  • +447031905391 (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.
  • claimscentre@unionplus.net (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "sharon fisher" <sharonfisher_uksnl20@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 17 Oct 2006 14:30:26 +0000
Subject: Draw #2021 Your Email Won

UK Stake National Lottery
Lottery Company
PO Box 200
Harrogate
HG1 2YR
England


We announce today the draw #2021 of the UK Stake National Lottery draw held
on the 14th of October, 2006 in the United Kingdom. The winning ticket was
selected from a Data Base of Internet Email Users. Your email address was
attached to Ticket Number 0007560054UKNL, with Serial number 98710 drew the
lucky numbers 20, 22, 23, 26, 31, 47, and 2 for Bonus Ball, and consequently
won you the lottery in our 2nd category.

You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay of 780,000:00(GBP) in
cash credited to file with REF NO: UKNL/98710/06 and Batch No.00054UKNL,
this is from total prize money of 6,240,000.00 (GBP) shared among the Eight
International winners in this category. Your 780,000.00 (GBP) will be
released to you by any of our preferred payment center in Europe. Our agent
will immediately commence the process to facilitate the release of your
winnings as soon as you contact the payment centre.

To file for your claim, please contact our fiduciary claim Agent;

Mr. Alain Grant
Email:claimscentre@unionplus.net
Tel: +44703 1905 391
CLAIMS PROCESSING AGENT

Please remember to quote your Reference and batch numbers in every one of
your correspondences with your claim agent.All prize money must be claimed
not later than the 25th of October,2006.After this date, all funds will be
returned as unclaimed in the next draw.

Congratulations!!!

Sincerely,
Sharon Fisher
Zonal Co-ordinator

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam