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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "transfer of your funds" (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.
  • agencypayment.johphillips@yahoo.com.hk

Fraud email example:

From: UNION LOTTO<synergys2@o2.pl>
Reply-To: agencypayment.johphillips@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2007 12:15:50 -0500
Subject: winning notice

Union Assurance International Lotteries
Brederostraat 20,9721 JP Groningen
Netherlands

ANNOUNCEMENT:

We happily announced to you the draws (1024)of the Union Assurance
International Lotteries
Sweepstakes and as part of our International program held on the 5th of
March ,2007.Your e-mail address attached to ticket number:
56475600545188 with Serial
number 5368/02 drew the lucky numbers: 04-07-29-30-42-44-39 which
subsequently won you the Rollover prizes of USD$1,550,000.00 (One Million,
Five Hundred and Fifty Thousand USD) only.
Be advised that due to incessant mix up in cash prize transfer to
previous winners, we advise that you keep your winning information
confidential until your claim has been processed and released to you. This
security measure is critical and put in place to avoid double claims,
transfer and unwarranted abuse of this program by other participants.

METHOD OF SELECTING WINNERS:

Participants were selected anonymously through a private ballot system
from over 50,000 companies and 100,000 individual e-mail addresses all
over the world.

This is promotional program and it is promoted and sponsored by
Vodaphone Corporation and Dell Networks. It is meant to reward some
individuals and corporations who have devoted their time and resources surfing
the World Wide Web with their email addresses.

Remember, all winning must be claimed before 30th March, 2007. After
the expiration of that time frame, if your funds are unclaimed, it will
be refunded to us and included in our next draws.

To avoid unnecessary delays/complications with the transfer of your
funds to you, please always remember to quote your Code number in all
correspondence with our paying agency(West African Remittance Centre,Accra,
Ghana)stating your

(1) Names and Address,
(2) Telephone number,
(3) Age,
(4) Occupation
(5) Payment option either (check or bank transfer)

Should there be any change of your present address, please notify us
immediately to make appropriate adjustment.

You are to contact the paying agency as mentioned below for the
processing
of your claims.

Company Name. West African Remittance Centre
Contact person. Mr. John Phillips
Dept Claims Processing/Legal Department
E-mail: agencypayment.johphillips@yahoo.com.hk

Yours in Services

Mrs Mabel Debores


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam