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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 phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "claims agent" (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.
  • +447011152996 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: Uk Lottery Claims Office <seanbarry_ukclaimsofficedept@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2007 10:35:49 +0100 (BST)
Subject: CLAIMS VERIFICATION / FUND RELEASE FORM



The U.K. National Lottery
12 Bridge Street,
Staines Middlesex TW18 4TP
United Kingdom.

Customer Service/Claims Department

Ref: LSUK/2031/8161/05
Batch: R3/A312-59


ATTN:Sir/Madam,

I am Sean Barry your claims agent who is to guide you through the process of claiming your cash prize. In order to proceed with the verification process, we require some information for record and verification purposes. Below is a copy of the Claims Verification/Fund Release Form, we need you to provide the information requested accordingly to enable us proceed with the verification process prior to the payout of your winnings.


All participants for the online version of the lottery draw were selected randomly from the World Wide Web through a computer draw system and extracted from over 1,000,000 unions, associations and corporate bodies that are listed online and each email address was attatched to a ticket number. Your email address attatched to ticket number: 56475600545 188 with Serial number 5368/02 was selected which automatically makes you one of our lucky winners.



CLAIMS VERIFICATION / FUND RELEASE FORM

1. Full Name:

2. Address:

3. Marital Status:

4. Occupation:


5. Age:

6. Sex:

7. Nationality:

8. Country of Residence:

9. Telephone Number:

10. Email Address:

11. Amount Won:

You are expected to provide the information requested accordingly to the fiduciary agent immediately via e-mail.

Hope to have informed you correctly.

Best regards,


Mr. Sean Barry
Claims Department
The UKNL Foundation
Tel: +44 70 111 52996

For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information confidential till your claim is processed and your money remitted to you in whatever manner you deem fit to claim your prize. This is part of our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program. Please be warned !!!

© Copyright 1994-2007 The U.K. National Lottery Inc.








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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam