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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claims office" (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 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.
  • +34634002559 (Spain, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: nari nari <n-ari-6@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <navisag@aim.com>
Date: Fri, 13 Jul 2007 15:16:55 +0200
Subject: THE FREE LOTTO COMPANY



THE FREE LOTTO COMPANY SPANISH HEAD OFFICE , MADRID, SPAIN.13TH July 2007www.freelotto.com
Dear Winner, RE:WINNING NOTIFICATION .
We are pleased to announce you as third category winner of this years annual Free Lotto Award.All winning addresses were randomly selected from a batch of 50,000,000 international emails. Consequently,you have therefore been approved for a total pay out of 550,000.euros(Five hundred and fifty thousand euros)only.The following particulars were attached to your lotto payment order
(i)Lucky numbers: 7-87-67-19-14-11(ii) Ticket number: 624381734-1112(iii) Batch Number: JVHN/21/294/VHIT(iv) Lottery Ref Number: TSR1242-BGR1034/06and(v) Serial Number: ES- 398-4132-16
Your security file number is ES-423215341P. Please contact the underlisted claims officer as soon as possible for the immediate release of your winnings: Name:Mr.John CarlosNavis Insurance CompanyEmail: navisag@aim.comTEL: +34- 651-335-021. TEL: +34-634-002-559
After the acknowlegement of the receipt of this winning notification you would be sent a lottery claims/Apraisal form to fill and submit to our lawyer who will carry out the legalisation of the transfer of your winning.Do not forget to quote your reference number in all correspondence.Once again on behalf of all our staffs we are wishing you a big CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Yours sincerely, Rita MooreFor Claims Officer The Lotto Company,Spain.
_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam