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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.

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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "claims office" (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.
  • +447031949372 (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.
  • ukprimepromo@excite.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: infocompanypromoservice7@comcast.net (UK PRIME SERVICE)
Date: Fri, 06 Jul 2007 11:09:30 +0000
Subject: Uk prime

Uk prime lottery.
Ipod Worldwide Business Information Technology
9 Leapal Road, Guildford,
Surrey, GU1 4JX, London, UK

Dear Sir/Madam,
This is to inform you that have been selected for a cash prize of £850,000(Eight
hundred and fifty thousand pounds sterling) This is in line with our promotional
lottery for our products.We specialize in the sales of cd-roms that enhance your
business growth.
The selection process was carried out through random selection in our
computerized email selection system(ess) from a database of over 250,000 email
addresses drawn from all the continents of the world.
This Lottery is approved by the British Gaming Board and also Licensed by the
The International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR). This promotional
lottery is the first of its kind and we intend to sensitize the public.
To begin the processing of your prize you are to contact your claims officer
through our accredite d Prize Transfer agents as stated below:

MR MAX RAPH,
9 Leapal Road, Guildford,
Surrey, GU1 4JX
United Kingdom
Email: ukprimepromo@excite.com
Tel: +44-7031949372 or +44-7045732204
contact him, please provide him with your secret Batch Number:
VC/32/ID1141 and your Ref Number: UK/910/1645.You are also advised to provide
him with the under listed information as soon as possible:

Claim requirements:
1.Name in full
2.Address
3.Nationality
4.Age
5.Occupation
6.Phone/Fax
7.Present Country

If you do not contact your claims agent within 7 working days of this
notification,your winnings would be revoked. Winners are advised to keep their
winning details/information from the public to avoid fraudulent claim
(IMPORTANT)pending the transfer/claim by Winner.
Accept my hearty congratulations once again!

Regards,
Mrs Juliet Marrow
Lottery Manager

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam