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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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• 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:

• 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:
  • "you are advice to " (this email uses bad English)
• 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 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.
  • claimsagent_028@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • claimsdesk_028@yahoo.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: kate Watters <claimsdesk_028@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Sat, 4 Aug 2007 13:44:21 +0100 (BST)
Subject: BONAZA ! BONAZA !!


Dear Prize Winner
I was sent by the lottery organization to notify you of your winning claims, that is
still laying on our desk. Please you are to inform us if you have already decline your
winning claims, to enable us disburse it to the less privilege as well as the orphanage home
.
You are advice to write a letter of refusal to enable us send it to the lottery board or you can contact them directly so that you will be sent a certificate of refusal to enable them know that you have refuse your winnings.Noting that we do not pressurize or compel winners to redeem their winnings
You are to contact the Lottery board with your letter of refusal letting them know you have declined your winnings claims. Once again Congratulations.
Contact
Barr Morrison Hills
Email:claimsagent_028@yahoo.co.uk
I want to also use the note to let you know that the Dhl nigeria is now doing a bonaza they can now send your winning check to you just with $80 . But if you still want to claim your winning check there is no need for you to contact the Lottery board with the refusal letter .then you will have to contact me so that i can give you the information that you will use in sending the fee to us .
Await Your Swift Reply.
Thanks
Email:claimsdesk_028@yahoo.co.uk
Mrs Kate Watters

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam