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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:
  • "transfer into your account" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
• 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: greg thomans <gregclaims2@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Mon, 18 Jun 2007 18:25:12 +0800 (CST)
Subject: urgent respond:choose your option


Attn: Prize Lucky Winer,

FILE NO: KTU/9023118308/03
TICKET NO: 7-1-8-36-4-22
LUCKY BALL NUMBERR 7363789.

Congratulation on your recent winnings. We acknowledge receipt of your mail we have to infom you that this is real and you are truly a lucky winner of the lump sum of $3,500m USD.This programme was design to encourage the use of the Internet in developing nations but presently we are for now involving all the continents in the world. Winners are normally picked from the Internet depending on the usage and also your luck is based on if you are on the Internet when our computer balloting is taking place.

The major computer companies in the world ato this programmed with little contribution from the United Nations. Also this programme is cover by the various law of lottery of the United Kingdom and also of various countries of the European union. It is pertinent to inform you that your winning certificate and your Cheque has been zoned among to be released from our payment office here in England .

The Payment of our winners was grouped into there payment zones. {Europe, ASIA And Africa} through computer balloting and you were zoned to our Europe Office for payment.

Our Europe payment office and all Winners will be required to notarize their winnings in the zone they were Grouped for payment before their particulars will be approved and their fill Will be transferred to our payment finance house, within 72hrs of reciept of your informations if you are able to meet up with our requirments. We would like to know how you want to receive your prize won of $3,500m .USD choose from the following medium below.
WINNER'S TRANSFER OPTION.
The options of payment are either of the following below:
1.Direct wire transfer into your account, Here, you will be required by the bank to open an account with them so that your local account can be credited with the prize value and you will be expected to make your direct wire transfer to your designate account.

2.Your cheque (cashier cheque)will be sent to your address by courier service. With this information supplied by you .We will be able to create your records in our data base of winners and begin proccessing of your winning claim.
Once again congratulations.

Sincerely,
Greg Thomas
(Claims Agent)
Tel: 0044-793-923-9901)

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam