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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:
  • "claims 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.
  • mrscaro@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Mark Harris <markharris1@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2007 06:15:38 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: BRITISH LOTTERY6/49


BRITISH LOTTERY6/49
P O Box 1010, 3b Olympic Way,
Sefton Business Park,
Aintree, Liverpool , L30 1RD
23th April, 2007

FINAL NOTIFICATION
We are notifying you on our Online Draw held on 24/03/07, where your Email emerged one of the Four lucky winners who won the first prize of a total sum of £1,128,663.00, from a total payout prize pool of £14,840,122.00 in our Online Lottery Draw.
You can verify your winnings:

www.lotteries.com/lotteries/wnbritish649.jsp Ticket no:025-1146-1992-750, Serial no:2113-05, Lucky no:09-14-26-28-30-45 bonus no:38,REFNO:BRLFGP2551256/04
You are to contact the Claims Consultant:
Mrs. Caro Udo
Email: mrscaro@yahoo.com

(1) FULL NAME
(2) FULL ADDRESS
(3) NATIONALITY.
(4) AGE
(5) OCCUPATION
(6 )TELEPHONE NUMBER
(7) SEX
(8) TOTAL AMOUNT WON
(9) COUNTRY

If you do not contact your claims agent within 3 working days of this Notification, your winnings would be revoked. Winners are advised to keep their winning details/information from the public to avoid Fraudulent claim (IMPORTANT) pending the prize claim by Winner.
*Winner under the age of 18 are automatically disqualified. *Staff of the British Lottery are not to partake in this Lottery.
Congratulation!!

Sincerely,
Mark Harris (Mrs)


---------------------------------
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam