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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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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "fiduciary 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.
  • claimsofficer_047@yahoo.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: "CUSTOMER SERVICE" <WEBDN95V401@prodigy.net>
Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2007 07:38:25 -0800
Subject: CUSTOMER SERVICE

Customer Service
Ref: UK/9420X2/68
Batch: 074/05/ZY369
We happily announce to you the draw of the UK-LOTTO
Sweepstake
Lottery International programs held on 17th Of
January 2007
in LEEDS UNITED-KINGDOM.
Your e-mail address attached to ticket number: 564
75600545 188 with Serial number 5368/02 drew the
lucky numbers:
12-17-21-25-31-37-30
which subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd
category.
You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum
of
US£854,000.00 (Eight hundred and fifty four Thousand
Pound Sterling) in cash credited to file
ktu/9023118308/03.This is from
a total cash prize of US £8,540,000 million Pound
sterling, shared amongst
the first Ten (10) lucky winners in this category.
All participants were selected randomly from World
Wide Web site
through computer draw system and extracted from over
100,000
companies and individuals. This promotion takes place
annually.
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 US£854,000.00
(Eight hundred and
fifty four Thousand Pound sterling) 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 her.
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
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 DAVID HUDSWORTH
claimsofficer_047@yahoo.co.uk


You can go to our online result site to confirm the
value of your
winnings and also get a prize breakdown:-
http://lottery.co.uk/res/
Goodluck from me and members of staff of the UK
To avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please
quote your
reference/batch numbers in any correspondences with
us or our
designated agent.
Congratulations once more from all members and staffs
of this
program. Thank you for being part of our promotional
lottery
program.
Sincerely,
MR DAVID JAMES
UK-LOTTO Co-ordinator

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam