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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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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:

• The following fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "uk national lottery" (can only win this lottery if you bought a ticket)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "attorneys " (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• 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: james kelvin <uknationallotteryagent.ukoffice@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Tue, 26 Jun 2007 10:10:35 +0100 (BST)
Subject: VERIFICATION AND FUNDS RELEASE FORM


Dear Jarman
Congratulations once again from all the staff here. In order to verify your winnings, we need your particulars for record purposes, Attached here is a copy of our verifications form, please fill accordingly so as to proceed with your winnings. Once again congratulations from all the staff.


VERIFICATION AND FUNDS RELEASE FORM

1.FULL NAMES:__________________________________________

2.ADDRESS:_____________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

3.SEX:_______________

4.AGE:_______________

5.MARITAL STATUS:_____________________

6.OCCUPATION:________________________

7.E-MAIL ADDRESS:_____________________________

8.TELEPHONE NUMBER:__________________________

9.LOTTO NUMBER:____________________ B. DRAW NUMBER:______________

10.TICKET NUMBER:___________________

11.SERIAL NUMBER:___________________

12.AMOUNT WON:____________________________________

____________________________________________________

13. STATE:__________________________________

14. COUNTRY________________________________

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.
Note: The UK national lottery has discovered a huge number of double claims due to winners informing close friends relatives, attorneys and third parties about their winning. As a result of this, this close friends relatives, attorneys and third parties try to claim the lottery on behalf of the real winners. The UK national lottery losses millions of pounds on this fraudulent people, and has reached a decision from headquarters that any double claim discovered by the UK national lottery, will result to the Lottery office canceling that particular winning, making a loss for both the double claimer and the real winner, as it is taken that the real winner was the informer to the double claimer about the lottery. So you are hereby strongly advised once more to keep your winnings strictly confidential until you can claim your prize.

Mr. James Kelvin









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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam