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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "courier company" (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!
• 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.
  • +447031822118 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
  • +448704796453 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
• 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.
  • universalexpress001@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Mr Gladstone wright <agentgladstone_wright@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Wed, 4 Jul 2007 02:06:00 +0100 (BST)
Subject: TREAT AS URGENT


20 GLENEAGELE ROAD,
STREATHAM SW16 6AB LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM.
GAMING BOARD OF GREAT BRITAIN
LICENSED. ONLINE BALLOT AWARD,
(Registration 70339411).
REGISTERED UNDER, THE DATA PROTECTION ACT.
MICROSOFT AWARD INTERNATIONAL HEADQUARTERS.
4TH DAY OF JULY 2007

Hurray!!!

We the entire staff of Microsoft Award/Promomotion Team {MAT} with profound gratitude hereby informed you that you now have a chance to claim your won fund (One Million Pounds) that you won in the Recent-held Microsoft Online Ballot Promotion.
This was precipitated by an ad-hoc meeting held by the Board of Directors in conjuction with the British Gaming Board (BGB) on 3,July 2007, in London,UK.

Consequently, all winners in this category are hereby advised to contact the affiliated Courier Company for urgent delivery of their approved-won prizes without delay and complication.

Below is the contact details:

Universal Express Courier Agency, United Kingdom
Corporate Headquarters, 91 Station Road, West Drayton,
Middlesex UB7 7LTUnited Kingdom.
universalexpress001@yahoo.co.uk
Tel: +44 703 182 2118
Mobile: +44 702 406 4685
Fax: +44 870 479 6453
Contact person: Joseph Bright (Dispatch Officer)

You are to include the information below in your contact mail to our official accredited delivery firm, requesting complete delivery schedule information of your award prize parcel. Do ensure you include the delivery clearance code to enable easy reference to your winning claims package.
Amount on your certified cheque
BATCH: 2006MJL-01
REF NO: MAT/200-26937
Name of fiduciary Agent: Mr Gladstone Wright.
clearance code: A2245UK
Your Residential Address.

Note that all Cheque must be claimed not latter than 20 July 2007.
Happy remittance process!
Mr. Gladstone Wright,
Fiduciary Agent, MAT.


This email and its attachments are confidential and intended for the exclusive use of the addressee(s). This email and its attachments may also be privileged or protected by legal rules. If you have received this by mistake please let us know by reply immediately and destroy the email and its attachments without reading, copying or forwarding the contents.


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam