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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
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
• How to report 419 spam to us
• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• 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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claims office" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
• 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!

Fraud email example:

From: Mr Paul Webb <irishagentpaul@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Sun, 5 Aug 2007 18:31:19 +0100 (BST)
Subject: VERY URGENT


Hello Willmarr Pfeffmann,

How are you doing today?

I just read your email. Well i want to inform you that All participants "email address" were selected through a computer balloting system drawn from Nine hundred thousand names from Canada,Australia,United States,Asia, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Oceanic as part of our international promotions program which is conducted monthly.This Lottery was promoted and sponsored by some multinational companies as including Bill Gate, and some other EU governmental personalities part of their social responsibility to the citizens in the communities where they have operational base.

After balloting three email were now selected and automatically won you that lucky numbers. That was why an email was sent to you from our online department informing you that you have emerge a winner and you are required to claim the total sum of 500,000.00 GBP from the Irish lottery Affairs Commission. You were ask to contact me as your claims officer. I am Mr Paul Webb of the claims Department of Irish National Lottery.

You are required to fill the verification form form below. Fill out the form appropriately and email it back to me as soon as possible.

I await your filled form.

Regards

Mr Paul Webb.

VERIFICATION AND FUNDS RELEASE FORM
FULL NAMES :
AGE:
SEX:
ADDRESS:
COUNTRY:
MARITAL STATUS:
OCCUPATION:
PHONE NUMBER:
FAX NUMBER:
LUCKY NUMBER :
REF NUMBER:



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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam