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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
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• 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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "from: the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "claims office" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "keep this confidential" (they don't want anyone to point out to you that this is a scam)
• 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!

Fraud email example:

From: Mrs Vanessa White Scott <mrsvanessawhitescot00@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Mon, 11 Jun 2007 07:51:40 +0100 (BST)
Subject: ATTN: WINNERS VERIFICATION FORM


FROM: THE DESK OF THE E-MAIL PROMOTIONS MANAGER,
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT
MICROSOFT WORD LOTTERY,UK
3b Olympic Way, Sefton Business Park,
Aintree, Liverpool , L30 1RD
REF NO: MSW-L/200-26937
BATCH: 2005MJL-01

Attn,

Your fund has been deposited in an escrow account and insured with your REF NO: MSW-L/200-26937 and your E-mail address, Please note that, you are to contact us via email and not phone as we are promoting the use of E-mail, any communications with this office should be by mail, You have the right to call the bank, as we will provide you with the necessary details on how to claim your prize. You are to keep your ref. number and batch number from the public, until you have been processed and your money remitted to your account.

This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming and the act of scamming people of their ref number and prizes. We hope with a part of your prize, you will participate in our year high stakes US$1.3 billion International Lottery.

PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU ARE TO FILL AND SEND THE BELOW INFORMATIONS REQUIRED TO CLAIM YOUR WINNING PRIZE TO YOUR CLAIMS OFFICER:

*FULL NAMES*
*NATIONALITY*
*AGE*
*DATE OF BIRTH*
*SEX*
*MARITAL STATUS*
*CONTACT ADDRESS*
*TELEPHONE NUMBER*
*OCCUPATION*
*WINNING E-MAIL ADDRESS*
*REF/ BATCH NUMBERS*
*TOTAL AMOUNT WON*

Upon receipt of the duly requested data,I will send you the contact information of the payment office so you can proceed with effecting the release of your claim in anyway you deem fit, submit back immediately.Remember that all prize money must be claimed not later than 16th of June, 2007. All funds not claimed on or before the fixed date will be forfeited.

NOTE: In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please remember to quote your reference and batch numbers in all correspondences with your claims officer. Do not reply any other mails like this on net as they are alot of scam artist out there pretending to be us. You may see mails like this do not reply. Do contact your claims officer MRS. VANESSA WHITE SCOTT at once by email. You will be asked to provide some details to enable us proceed file keeping.PLEASE KEEP THIS CONFIDENTIAL as we wish you a blissful new year!!!


Warm regards,
Mrs. Vanessa White Scott
For Ms Word Lottery UK.


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam