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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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• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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")
  • "hundred thousand united states dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
• 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.
  • lidiamary@tsamail.co.za (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "MR VAN GIL" <leedloto_dev12@yahoo.com> (may be fake)
Date: Mon, 13 Nov 2006 22:41:22 +0000
Subject: REPLY

LEEDS-LOTTO Headquarters:
Customer Service
Ref: NL/9420X2/68
Batch: 074/05/ZY369

WINNING NOTIFICATION:

We happily announce to you the draw of the LEEDS-LOTTO
SweepstakeLottery International programs held on the 30TH JANUARY, 2006.inAMSTERDAM, NETHERLAND.
Your e-mail address attached to ticket number:6475600545 188 with Serial number 5368/02 drew the lucky numbers:19-6-26-17-35-7, which subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd category. You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum ofUS$5,500,000.00 (five million,Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) in cash credited to file Ktu/9023118308/03.

All participants were selected randomly from World Wide Web site through computer draw system
and extracted from over100,000 companies.This promotion takes place every five years
Please note that your lucky winning number falls within ourEuropean booklet representative office in Europe as indicated in your play coupon.In view of this, your US$5,500,000.00
(five million,Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) would be
released to you by our payment office in europe.

Our European agent will immediately commence the process to facilitate the release of your funds as soon as you contact him 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 by some unscrupulous elements. Please be warned.
To file for your claim, please contact our fiduciary agent:MR.JAMES SPENCER
To avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please quote your reference/batch numbers in any correspondences with us or our disgnated agent.
Congratulations once more from all members and staffs of this program.
Thank you for being part of our promotional lottery program.

You can only respond to this mail through this email address below.
lidiamary@tsamail.co.za
Sincerely,
MR VAN GIL

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam