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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:
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
• 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.
  • agentenis_ernest01@yahoo.com.hk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Euromillions FreeDraws <gaming009@hotmail.co.uk>
Reply-To: <agentenis_ernest01@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Thu, 6 Sep 2007 16:46:17 +0000
Subject: Prize Winner



Dear Prize Winner,

Here is another first from Play Euromillions FreeDraws- your chance to win in the Euro Millions rollover draw. The prize which has been built up from 10 Jackpot rollover is the biggest in the e-mail ballot lottery since its inception in 1997. Most people will never get the opportunity to play and win in UK Mega Jackpot EuroMillions- especially when they live outside the United Kingdom.

Be informed that you are among the lucky ones because all international winners in this Euro Millions e-mail web lottery are identified by their e-mail address and randomly selected by our software from websites and e-mail host domains that are recognized and approved by this promotions, which in place of ticket numbers utilizes your e-mail address and by means of
sequence and series method, attaches your e-mail address to the winning numbers.

In this automated computer ballot, your e-mail address was attached to serial number 02-5781 drew the lucky numbers 07-17-21-36-37-42 which consequently selected you as one of first ten (10) lucky winners in this category. You have therefore been approved of a lump sum payment of € 1,700,000.00 Euros. You have already been authorize for payment but our oversea subscribers agent need your identification and personal details before all official winnings documents can be processed and your cheque issued by our affiliated.

We have our official websites where winnings can be verified but that will be disclosed when we are confident that you are ready to comply with our provisions for prize claim. UK Mega Jackpot Lottery is approved by the British Gaming Board and also Licensed by the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR). This lottery is entry free which NO TICKETS ARE PURCHASED and we intend to sensitize the public. All the 10 participants were selected through a powerball Lottery software from accredited websites listed online that are registered in this promotion, as part of our International "E-MAIL" Promotions Program.

Please note that your lucky winning number falls within our United Kingdom Prize Processing Center. In view of this, your €1,700,000.00 euro would be transferred by our affiliate bank in UK. Our agent will immediately commence the process to facilitate the release of your funds to you as soon as you make contact with him.

For security reasons you are advised to keep this winning notification confidential till your winnings is processed and payment disbursed. All you have to do is contact furnish our claims processing department with the requested identification details:

Names in full:
Residential address:
Zip code:
Country:
Occupation:
Telephone number:
Fax number:
Age:
Marital Status:
Sex:
Nationality:

Contact our claims processing officer for further details:

Prize Processing Center
Name: Denis Ernest
E-mail: agentenis_ernest01@yahoo.com.hk

Best Regards,

Mr. Craig McAfee
Director.


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam