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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
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• 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:
  • "overseas claims unit" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • ",000,000" (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)
• 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 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.
  • maxsonsteve@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Yaser Abood <yaseraljarah@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 4 Jul 2007 03:18:18 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: I need Answer Help For yahoo


Dear Sir

i recived This E-Mail
its truo Or Scam


Yahoo! Mail announce you as one of the 10 lucky winners in the ongoing Yahoo! Lottery Draw held on the 16th of June, 2007.

All 10 winning email addresses were randomly selected from a batch of 50,000,000 international emails each from Canada , Australia , United States , Asia, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Oceania as part of our international promotions program which is conducted annually.Consequently, you have been approved for a total pay of 300,000.00 GBP (THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND GREAT BRITISH POUNDS STERLING ).

This Lottery was promoted and sponsored by a conglomerate of some multinational companies as part of their social responsibility to the citizens in the communities where they have operational base.
Further more your details(e-mail address) falls within our British Representative Office in the United Kingdom , as indicated in your play coupon and your prize of 300,000.00 GBP will be released to you from this regional branch office in the UK.

Find below your identification numbers:

Batch Number.....................Lwh 09445
Lotto Number......................Lwh 09446
Winning Number.................Lwh 09447


Our Yahoo!'s Agent will immediately commence the process to facilitate the release of your funds as soon as you contact her. For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information confidential till your claims is processed and your prize remitted to you in whatever manner you deem fit. This is part of our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program. Please be warned.

To file for claim, fill out the information required in the verification form and establish contact via e-mail between the hours of 8.00am - 7.30pm on Monday through Saturday and contact our overseas claims unit with the information below:


OVERSEAS CLAIMS UNIT
Yahoo! Lottery Fiduciary
Contact Person: Mr Maxson Steve
: maxsonsteve@yahoo.co.uk
VERIFICATION 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. WINNING NUMBER:______________
10.BATCH NUMBER:__________________
11.AMOUNT WON:______________________
12.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF COMPANY/INDIVIDUAL____________
___________________________________________
13. COUNTRY________________________________


Goodluck from me and members of staff of the Yahoo! LOTTERY.

Yours faithfully,
Dr. Carl Moore.
Online coordinator for Yahoo! LOTTERY
Sweepstakes International Program.











The Yahoo.com staff
Yahoo.com http://www.yahoo.com


The Yahoo.com staff
Yahoo.com http://www.yahoo.com



Yahoo! Lottery Results
Yahoo! Lottery is a free service that does not require you to be a Yahoo! registered user.



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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam