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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:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • ",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.
  • +447011140293 (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.
  • rev.jamessmith44@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Rev. JAMES SMITH" <rev.jamessmith44@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2007 18:31:56 +0100 (BST)
Subject: CLAIM AGENT


MICROSOFT AWARD TEAM
61B Ashbourne Avenue,
London, NW11 0DT,
United Kingdom

Reference number: 700DMUK291176S
Batch number: UK065/088/XY2400
*********************************
*********************************

ATTN:Ferdinand Klinkien,
This is to inform you that we have recieved your lottery winning information in the just concluded MICROSOFT AWARD TEAM.
Congratulations, you were among the twenty international lucky winners in this category of the draws, with the following informations Rference number (700DMUK291176S) and batch number (UK065/088/XY2400) as your winning information.
I am the agent assisgned to you in the lottery promotions, and as such, my job is to ensure that your prize money is released to you.
Your prize money of 1,000,000.00 Pounds. is presently deposited with CLYDESDALE BANK PLC, here in the UNITED KINGDOM. I have just sent to them your lottery winning informations. They will be required to contact you soon.
I want you to know that for further verification, you will need to quote your ticket number and ballot number to them when you are contacted.
And you will be expected to forward every of your correnpondence with them to me for record keeping.
You are not allowed to disclose any of your winning informations, hence somebody else will file for your claim and funds will be transferred to such person, please take note!
Once again congratulations for your luck.

REV. JAMES SMITH
processing Agent incharge.
Tel:(+44)-7011140293
Email:rev.jamessmith44@yahoo.co.uk
MICROSOFT AWARD TEAM
UNITED KINGDOM



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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam