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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:
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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:
  • "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "transfer of your funds" (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)
  • ",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.
  • +447011149509 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
  • +448712428331 (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.
  • contact_citi_bank0000@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: jeffery brooks <claimagentpowerball2007@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2007 22:29:25 +0100 (BST)
Subject: YOU ARE TO CONTACT THE PAYING BANK WITH YOUR DETAILS.





POWERBALL LOTTERY,
Accredited Claim Agent-
29 Colmore Row, Birmingham , B3 2EW
United Kingdom





Dear Winner,

Claims Processed On Behalf Of WINNER

Congratulations on emerging as one of our lucky award winners! Power BALL Lottery offers awards to Lucky owners of selected emails that came out in our Random Draws. You have therefore been approved to go ahead and claim your funds which amounts to £1,000,000 (One million pounds sterling). This sum is gathered from our Sponsors consisting of over 100,000 websites and association.

To get your funds transfered to you, we have processed your claims and the winning amount has been transfered to our payment bank for immediate transfer to you .Your funds have been adequately insured by an Insurance Firm here in the UK. With the context of this insurance, your funds are RESTRICTED from been tampered with by any other person till they are remitted to you.

What this simply means is, if by chance the transfer of the said FUNDS require charges, you are to source for and settle these charges yourself WITHOUT requesting such amount to be deducted from your funds here with us as, they have been adequately insured with the very best Insurance Policy around.

Please, contact our payment bank responsible for the transfer of your funds to you. To contact them, please make use of the following contact details:

Bank Name: CITI BANK
Account Officer:KEVIN KESSINGER.
Email: contact_citi_bank0000@yahoo.co.uk
Hot Line-For Emergencies call:
Tel: +44 701 11 49 509,
+44 701 113 1158.

FAX:+44 871242 8331
Mon-Sat 8am-6pm

NB:SEND ALONG SIDE YOUR EMAIL TO THE BANK YOUR VERIFICATION FORMS TO ENABLE THEM GET BACK TO YOU QUICKLY.

*Name of Beneficiary --------------

*Address: ---------

*City/State: -------------

*Nationality: -------

*Sex----------

*Email Address: ---------------

*Tel: -----------------

*Occupation: ------------------------

*Age: --------

*AMOUNT WON:
*In Figures: -----------

*Ref No: -------------

Thank You and once again, Congratulations!

Warm regards......,

Mr Jeffery Brooks.
Claims Agent.


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam