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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:
  • "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.
  • +447024080465 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
• 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.
  • alerown@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "FREE LOTTO AWARD" <afreelottoinfo@aol.com>
Date: Tue, 05 Jun 2007 03:38:32 +0200
Subject: WINNING NOTIFICATION/FINAL NOTICE

FREE LOTTO AWARD DEPT.
16 Broad Street,
Woolich, Middle Essex
L70 1NL.LONDON
UNITED KINGDOM



www.freelotto.com



Ref: UK/9420X2/68
Batch: 074/05/ZY369
DATE:04-06-2007


WINNING NOTIFICATION/FINAL NOTICE

We happily announce to you the draw (#1081) of the FREE LOTTO AWARDS, online Sweepstakes International program. Your e-mail address attached to ticket number: 56475600545 005 with Serial number 5368/13 drew the lucky numbers: 09-11-22-39-40-42(bonus no.12), which subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd category i.e. match 5 plus bonus. You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of £500,000 (Five hundred thousand pounds sterling) in cash credited to file KTU/9023118308/03.This is from a total cash prize of £11,000,000 shared amongst the (21) lucky winners in this category i.e. Match 5 plus bonus.

All participants for the online version were selected randomly from World Wide Web sites through computer draw system and extracted from over 100,000 unions, associations, and corporate bodies that are listed online.

This promotion takes place weekly (wed and sat). Please note that your lucky winning number falls within our European booklet representative office in Europe as indicated in your play coupon. In view of this, your £500,000 (Five hundred thousand pounds sterling) would be released to you by any of our payment offices in Europe . Our European agent will immediately commence the process to facilitate the release of your funds as soon as you contact him.

For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information confidential till your claims is processed and your money remitted to you in whatever manner you deem fit to claim your prize. This is part of our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program. Please be warned. To file for your claim, please contact your fiduciary agent with the details below:

Name of Fiduciary Agent: Mr Alex Brown
Email: alerown@yahoo.co.uk
Tel: +447024080465
FREE LOTTO AWARD SERVICE OFFICER.

Note: You are to contact your fiduciary agent immediately and provide him with these informations so that he can help you in processing the release of your winnings to you as soon as possible.

Congratulations from the staff and thank you for being part of email account users program:

Sincerely,

Dr.Terry Jones
Online Coordinators.
FREE LOTTO AWARD BOARD.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam