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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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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")
  • "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "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!
• 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.
  • +447045722535 (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.
  • elitecourier.services@yahoo.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: Agent Micheal Brown <agent_michealbrown_claimsdept@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2007 14:08:38 +0100 (BST)
Subject: CONTACT ELITE COURIER COMAPNY FOR DELIVERY OF YOUR WINNING


UNITY ONLINE PROMOTIONS
UNITED KINGDOM, LONDON.
Annual Lottery Promotions
(Customer Service Department.)

ATTENTION : Winner,

I am pleased to announce that our successful first quarter of Fiscal Year 2007 will result in a record-breaking first quarter. The process for claiming your win has been made very simple so that by the end of two weeks at most, you are assured of having received your cash prize. However, Elite Courier Delivery Services are responsible for sending you your Certified Cheque and the original copies of the documents which will require your signature. When the documents are couriered to you, you would sign them and return them to the courier company, from there it would be forwarded to our Lottery headquarters. Please oblige to follow the Elite Courier instructions so the document can get to your present address on time.

You are to contact the Delivery officer of the Payment parastatal with the following information below:

Contact Person: MrAntonio Roberts
Email:elitecourier.services@yahoo.co.uk
Telephone:+447045722535
+447024062753

You are required to give The Courier Company your Name, telephone number, Amount Won and address in case they need to contact you regarding the delivery. This information will not be kept by Elite Courier or used by any other third party.

Do ensure to inform me of your further correspondence with the courier in order for me to advice you on further actions to take in ensuring that your winnings is successfully collected by you.

Do fill and send the form below to the Elite Courier Office .

1.FULL NAMES:
2.MAILING ADDRESS:
3.SEX:
4.AGE:
5.TELEPHONE NUMBER:
6. COUNTRY:

NOTE : If you receive another lottery winning Notification after the lottery Board Notification within the period of your claim processing, do forward the mail to us for verification before repling the mail and if we find out it is a scam, we will instruct you to disregard the mail. This is for security reasons. Make sure you file your claims properly to the courier officer,winning prize,ticket number at the time of payment of winning prize.

Yours
Sincerely,
Management
Accredited Fiduciary Agent.



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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam