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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 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.
  • +447045710943 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: Charles Bignell <charles_bignelll_2010@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 11 May 2007 02:33:51 +0100 (BST)
Subject: YAHOO! UPDATE.




You won £500 000! Yahoo! Mail congratulates you! Messenger

YAHOO INTERNET LOTTERY

CONGRATULATIONS!

YOU WON £500 000!



Date:11/05/2007

Hello Mr Kirscher,


I got the email you sent. And I will say i am very sorry when i got to know you had a minor inclination to be manic-depressive. yes it is legitimate and i am honest and genuine with all dealings with you.I will explain to how you won.Your e-mail address was picked at random from the commerce market world wide, which was attached to ticket number: 56475600545 188 with Serial number 5388/02 which drew the lucky numbers: 14,21,25,39,40,40,47(20), which subsequently won you the lottery in the 3rd category. You have therefore, been approved to claim a total sum of £500,000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand Great British Pounds) in cash credited to file KPC/9081118307/07.
This year Lottery Program Jackpot is the largest ever in the history of International Email Lottery sweepstakes.
My advice for you is to follow my instruction as your fiduciary agent and stop being unconfident.yes the only tax on it is when you transfer the money elsewhere which is 5% of the total money for (cot)cost of transfer.
please let me know what intend doing so i could assist for a smooth transfer of your winnings.
I await your response and also send me your phone number so i can call to explain better.



.Yours Sincerely,
Mr Peterson David
Tel: +44-7045-710-943



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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam