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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:

• 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)
• 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.
  • +447024052187 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: agent mike agent mike <agentmike247@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Mon, 9 Jul 2007 14:15:01 +0100 (BST)
Subject: FILL AND RETURE THE CLAIM VERIFICATION FORM



UK National Lottery Headquarters:
The Marina Offices,
St Peters Yacht Basin,
Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 1HX England

Ref: UK/9420X2/68
Batch: 074/05/ZY369

Dear Winner,

How are you doing today? I am Mr. Mike James, UK National Lottery Claims Manager. The email you received is a prize notification our email free ticket lottery draw which was held in Newcastle, United-Kingdom. This on-line draw was carried out by various software operators which assisted in the Random Computer Selection System(RCSS) of email addresses from various website. The purpose was to select 4 e-mail address that will emerge winner of the first on-line lottery Stake. On release of the results your email address was selected as a winner of £850,000.00 (Eight Hundred and Fifty Thousand Great British Pounds).

You are therefore required to fill and return the under listed information on your verification form so as to enable us process your winning claims and documents which will serve as clearance from this office for the immediate release of your winnings to the Courier Department for Delivery of winnings to your residence.

VERIFICATION FORM

1. Full Names:.........................................
2. Residential Address:.....................................
3. Sex:............................................
4. Age:...............................................
5. Marital Status:..............................................................
6. Occupation:.......................................................
7. Alternative Email Address:.............................................
8. Telephone Number (Home and Mobile):.............................................
9. Brief Comment on your Lottery Winning Notice:................................
10. Have you won an E-mail Lottery Before:..............................
11. State:.............................
12. Country:...........................



I await your swift response and Congratulations once more.


Warm Regards ,
Mike James
+44 702-405-2187

UK National Lottery Claims Manager



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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam