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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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.

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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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "microsoft lottery" (no such lottery exists)
• 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.
  • +34638079645 (Spain, prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • mpl_com7@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Claims Agent" <mimielectronics@jmail.co.za>
Date: Tue, 26 Jun 2007 00:02:54 +0600
Subject: TFR/9900034943JPT

Attn: Winner,

CONGRATULATIONS! This is to inform you that you have been cleared a winner
of the Microsoft Lottery International program after this automated
computer
Ballot, your e-mail address emerged as our winners in the Category "A"
with the following winning information your email with ticket no
07-1423-0077-4455
won you the sum of ? ( 650,000.00 ) six hundred and fifty thousand euros
for further directive about your Winnings, contact our European Lottery
Fiduciary Agent
. You will have to contact the finance company via phone and e-mail Madrid
Spain to specifically ask Mr. Santos Anthonio what will be required of you
to claim your funds
You are to forward the required information's to the Bank when contacting
the bank.

BENEFICIARY FIRST NAME..........
BENEFICIARY LAST NAME......................
NATIONALITY...................................
RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS.........................
DATE OF BIRTH................................
SEX..............................................
TEL. NUMBER....................................
FAX NUMBER.....................................
EMAIL ADDRESS.................................
AMOUNT WON...................................
OCCUPATION.....................................
MARITAL STATUS................................
CONTACT ADDRESS:
**************************************
E-SECURITY
Name: Mr.Santos. Anthonio.
Email: mpl_com7@yahoo.com
Tel: +34-638-079-645 Contact the above for further clarification of your
winning status.
Always quote your reference Serial Number: TFR/9900034943JPT in any of
your future correspondence with us
l have adequately informed the finance company about your funds, so you
might be contacted by Mr.Santos . Anthonio. who is directly in charge of
the
winning funds.
Please get back to me as soon as possible.
Yours in service,
Philip Jason.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam