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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:
  • "from: the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
• 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.
  • williams_hamilton_2@yahoo.com.hk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: williams_hamilton_2@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Sun, 27 May 2007 14:13:53 GMT
Subject: YOUR E-MAIL WAS SELECTED

EURO MILLIONS INTERNATIONAL,
175 WOODHILL ROAD, BULKYARD, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
FROM: THE DESK OF THE ONLINE DIRECTOR,
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE
AWARD DEPARTMENT.
REF: OYL /26510460037/02/EM
BATCH: 24/00319/EM

Dear Winner,
Your ticket number: 023-0148-790-459 with Serial number 5368/05 drew The lucky number:11
Congratulations, you have just won yourself ONE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND POUNDS ONLY in the satellite software
email lottery conducted By EURO MILLIONS in which e-mail addresses are picked randomly by Software powered by the
Internet.

Your email address was amongst those chosen this quarter and you are to contact our Promotions' Manager for Clearance.
Here is the contact information:
Promotion Manager:
Mr. Williams Hamilton
Email: williams_hamilton_2@yahoo.com.hk

You are to forward the following details to enable us clear your file for immediate payment:
1. Full Names:
2. Address:
3. Age:
4. Sex:
5. Marital Status:
6. Occupation:
7. Company Name.
8. Phone numbers:
9. Fax number:
10. Any Traveling Experience?
11. Country:

Yours faithfully,
MRS. CINDY HOWARD
EURO MILLION ONLINE DIRECTOR

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam