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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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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:
  • "vat (5%)" (VAT rate in the UK is 17.5%, check the math)
  • "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
• 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: FIVE WAYS COURIER LTD <five_ways_courier_ltd@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2007 14:04:54 +0100 (BST)
Subject: THIS IS THE PROCESS YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH



FIVE WAYS COURIER SERVICES LIMITED



AUGUST 9,2007
Reg order No:B231282
ATTENTION:Inglebert Kauf.

Mr.Inglebert Kauf,Sorry for what You are going through but it is not my fault this is one of the policies that is guiding the UKNTIONAL LOTTERY and FIVEWAYS COURIER LIMITED,As You know that not all banks will accept the check that will be issued to You that was why the both organisation decied to either wire the money into Your account or deliver it to You at Your door step with the help of the security company affiliated to FIVEWAYS COURIER LIMITED.
What You have to do is to choose between OPTIONS 1 AND 2,choose anyone that is more convnient for You




Option 1:
Courier of your winning draft to you via any of this channel listed below:
FedEx
Mailing...............................£100.00 Insurance.............................£300.00
Vat (5%)..............................£040.75
TOTAL.................................£440.75
UPS
Mailing...............................£100.00
Insurance.............................£300.00
Vat (5%)..............................£030.95
TOTAL.................................£430.95
POST OFFICE MAIL
Mailing; .............................£100.00
Insurance.............................£220.00
Vat (5%)..............................£020.00
TOTAL.................................£340.00
SAMEDAY BY AIR
Flight; ..............................£400.00
Insurance.............................£300.00
Vat (5%)..............................£050.00
TOTAL.................................£750.00


Option 2:
The said amount claim £1,500,000.00 (One million Five Hundred Thousand Euro) will be wired to your bank account via swift bank transfer.

Condition: The cost of COT (commission of transfer) being charged by our transferring bank(i.e. £1,500) of the cash being transferred will be paid by you.
Note that your prize is protected by a hardcover insurance policy, which makes it impossible to deduct any amount from the money before it has been remitted to you. This means that the above charges cannot be deducted from the prize and hence must be provided by you before your prize is transferred to you.


Good luck and Congratulations once again. Please send your response within the next 24hrs to this same email address.

Mr.Brian Howell
Management
Five Ways Courier Express Ltd
Open 7days-24hrs-365days a year.



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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam