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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
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
• How to report 419 spam to us
• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:
  • "money transfer control number" (this will cost you money - that's what the scam is about)
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "abuja" (a location commonly mentioned 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!
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.
• 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.
  • +2348035460484 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: CLAIMS AGENT <claimsagent_0111@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Sun, 10 Jun 2007 01:58:16 +0100 (BST)
Subject: CLAIM PROCEDURES


Dear Winner(Ms Karley Junkler)

Compliments of the day to you and your family.your last mail to me was received and the content was quiet understood.it is on this note that i want to let you know that this is the only online lottery going on now with outlets in america,asia,middle east.and africa.your coupon and ticket falls within our outlet in africa.

I was assigned to guide you through the processing of your winning funds as your claims agent.The UPS delivery fee which is $170 USD is the delivery fee required by the UPS courier company to enable them send you your winning check which is redeemeable at any local bank at your country and also your winner's certificate,
official winning document which will be ask at your bank before your funds will be giving to you.
Send the delivery fees through Western Union Money Transfer, to my secretary Mr Adodo ThankGod , ADDRESS: BARRISTER SPELL DICK AND SONS’ CHAMBERS, ABUJA, NIGERIA.
And after payment you are to send this informations below
Note that as soon as you have made the delivery payment via western union to my secretary MR ADODO THANKGOD,your parcel will delivered to your doorpost within the next 24hrs.After payment,you are to send down the following informations as appeared on the western union payment slip.

1.Receiver's Name
2.Sender's Name
3.Test Question(If Any)
4.Test Answer
5.Amount Sent
6.MTCN(MONEY TRANSFER CONTROL NUMBER)



N.B..YOU CAN CONTACT ME WITH THE NUMBER BELOW.ONCE AGAIN CONGRATULATION AS ONE OF OUR LUCKY ONLINE SWEEPSTAKES WINNER


Regards
Barr Spell Dick
+23480 3546 0484




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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam