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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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • ",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.
  • +447045718020 (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.
  • claimsofficer_044@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "ROBERT BENARD" <robert_benard@blastnet.org>
Reply-To: claimsofficer_044@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Tue, 07 Aug 2007 22:51:35 +0200
Subject: Congratulations! Contact Prize Remittance Division


FREELOTTO GROUP INTERNATIONAL
Prize Remittance Division (PRD)
FILE REF NO: 07- 321786542
FAST NO: 2912144
LOTTO REF: FL/0507/FAST

Dear Prize Winner,
This email confirmation that you have received from the FREELOTTO GROUP
INTERNATIONAL official notification of your lottery winning in the
FREELOTTO AUTOMATIC SUBSCRIPTION TICKET GAME (F.A.S.T) played on the
30th of JULY 2007, And was announced on the 06th of AUGUST 2007 at our
Lottery
office complex Trafford, London.
You have won a FREELOTTO PRIZE OF ONE MILLION BRITISH POUND STERLING
(£1,000,000.00), a prize payout of your winning has been approved by
the FREELOTTO GROUP. In accordance with the United Kingdom lottery
ordinance,you are authorized as the lotto prize winner to request claims of
your winning prize.The FREELOTTO AUTOMATIC SUBSCRIPTION TICKET
(F.A.S.T) GAME is an online promotional program organized by the FREELOTTO
GROUP
INTERNATIONAL. A total of 500,000 different email addresses are
entered for the FREELOTTO AUTOMATIC SUBSCRIPTION TICKET GAME
(F.A.S.T). All email addresses entered for the game are submitted by
our partner international email service providers/ marketing companies and
public
services providers. Winners are randomly selected systematically
through our Electronic Random Selection System (ERSS). Your email ID
was included among the 500,000 email addresses and entered for Batch 16125
with
Ticket No. 2912144 and was luckily selected among 1-5 batch winners.
You are adviced to keep your winning information highly confidential, As
any
breach of confidentiality on the part of winners will result to
disqualification. Note that the FREELOTTO GROUP INTERNATIONAL will
remit prize payout to only winners who have officially file in for
their prize claims. You are to choose one out of the listed option by which
you
want your prize remitted to you.
You are required to file your claims by contacting the OFFICE Prize
Remittance Division with the details below:
OFFICER IN-CHARGE : Frank Lawson (Head Prize Remittance Division)
E-MAIL:claimsofficer_044@yahoo.co.uk
PHONE # : +44 704 571 8020
FAX # : +44 (0) 870 479 1368
Completely fill out the Claim Form - E provided herein and submit a
completed filled form via email to the Prize Remittance Division. Your
winning information has been provided above.
=================================================
APPLICATION FOR PRIZE CLAIM FORM - E (Receipt Official Notification
Letter) [FILE REF 07-21786542]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
[FULL NAME OF
WINNER]......................................................
[RESIDENT
ADDRESS].........................................................
[COUNTRY/ REGION]..................
[STATE].............................
[DATE OF BIRTH]...../...../......... [SEX]..........
[OCCUPATION]........................
[CURRENT EMAIL].....................
[TEL/FAX]...........................
A scanned copy of your international passport, drivers license or any
form of identification will be appreciated.
===============================================================
Please indicate \\\\\\\"X\\\\\\\ " for the option you want your
prizeremitted to you.
Listed below is our payment modalities and option of payment.
(1) BY COURIER DELIVERY OF YOUR PRIZE CHEQUE:[_______]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
(2) TRANSFER THE MONEY TO YOUR ACCOUNT VIA SWIFT BANK
TRANSFER:[_______]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
THIS EMAIL WAS SENT FROM THE DESK OF THE ORGANIZATION PRESIDENT
FREELOTTO GROUP INTERNATIONAL, ON BEHALF OF F.A.S.T GAMES 2007.
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR WINNING.
SINCERELY,
ROBERT A. V. BENARD,
GROUP PRESIDENT - FLG

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam