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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:
  • "camelot lottery" (no such lottery exists)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "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!
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.

Fraud email example:

From: Russell Chandler <chandlerussell@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 13 Jul 2007 11:19:12 +0100 (BST)
Subject: CLAIMS PROCEDURE(Ref no:MELI-T/17-F044262312)



CAMELOT LOTTERY OFFICE
408, BURY NEW ROAD,
WHITEFIELD, WD1 8SB
WATFORD, U.K.

ATTENTION: PRIZE WINNER
Batch: 13/FFP/LDL/037
Ref no: MELI-T/17-F044262312
I am Barrister Russell Chandler the fiduciary attorney assigned to your case. I wish to congratulate you on your emergence as winner in the Camelot Lottery Promotions. You have been awarded €300,000.00 (Three Hundred Thousand Pounds)!
You are indeed lucky to have won this lottery. Your email address is amongst those chosen this quarter from our new Java-based software that randomly selects email addresses from the web from which winners are selected. You are required to forward the following details to help facilitate the processing of your claims and certificate which will employ the release of your winnings.
1. Full names................
2. Phone/Fax................
3. Nationality................
4. Present Location................
It is expected that you would forward this information in the next 24hrs to enable us attend to your winnings. Once we confirm your information, your payments would be processed.
After you have sent down this information, a certificate will be prepared for you. This is to be your proof of winnings. You are advised to keep your winning numbers and informations confidential, to avoid unscrupulous elements from taking advantage of the situation.
Furthermore, payment of your lottery winnings would be made via the issuance of a certified Cheque delivered to you by our affiliate Delivery Agency. Once again, congratulations.
Russell Chandler (Barr.)
Phone: 009-44-704-571-5464
Fax: 009-44-87-0912-1204
....................................................................................................................................................................................................
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 immediate reply and destruction of the email and its attachments without copying or forwarding the contents enclosed.




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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam