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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:
  • "into your nominated bank account" (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 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.
  • +447031968777 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: Edgar Franklin <claims_dept_uknld@yahoo.co.uk>
Reply-To: claims_inquiries_edgar@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Sat, 7 Apr 2007 22:06:11 +0100 (BST)
Subject: Dear Winner funish us with your details:Ref: XYL /26510460037/05 !!!



The National Lottery
P O Box 1010
Liverpool, L70 1NL
UNITED KINGDOM
(Customer Services)
Date:7-4-2007.

Ref: XYL /26510460037/05
Batch: 24/00319/IPD

Dear Winner,

We wish to congratulate you and formally inform you that, you have won the sum of £600,000 (Six hundred thousand pound sterlings)in the last email-lottery draw, organized by UK NATIONAL LOTTERY.

We have confirmed the above winning. You should note that your email address in addition to millions of company and individual email were extracted with a software and the addresses were scrutinized with a ballot system and after the processes,30 email addresses were selected and they were shared into 3 categories respectively and which you are a winner in the 2nd category.

The payment has been approved and a reconfirmation letter has just been sent to our head office in the United Kingdom, to enable them effect payment from our paying bank.The said sum is now deposited in our suspense account in your favour waiting for the immediate remittance into your nominated bank account.

Be informed that your winning prize has a hardcover insurance policy that makes it impossible to make any deduction of any kind, until the sum is finally credited into your designated account.However, our client (UK NATIONAL LOTTERY) has been notified of this development and the status of your claim.

Below are the steps you will be following:

1. Furnish us with the details stated below:
a) YOUR NAME:________________________________
b) YOUR ADDRESS:_____________________________
c) YOUR TELEPHONE/FAX NUMBER:______________
d) YOUR DATE OF BIRTH:_______________________
e) YOUR MARITAL STATUS:____________________
f) YOUR OCCUPATION:__________________________
g) YOUR COUNTRY:_____________________________
h) YOUR WINNING TICKET NUMBER:______________

Following the above, you are expected to furnish us with all your necessary details as requested of you above along with a copy of your international passport or driver's license via email attachment for vetting process which is a standard practise just to ensure that we are dealing with the right individual and account.This process is vital and urgent following the instruction from our clients that all prize money should be claimed ,otherwise your prize money will be returned back to its original source which means you have lost your winning prize.

Once again accept our congratulations and we look forward to hearing from you soon.

Regards.
Mr.Edgar Franklin
(CLAIMS OFFICER)
TEL: +44-7031-968-777
FAX: +44-7751-167-857


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam