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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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "uk national lottery" (can only win this lottery if you bought a ticket)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claim agent" (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!
• 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.
  • mailto.revbox@yahoo.com.hk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr Larry White" <wireweld@triotel.net>
Reply-To: mailto.revbox@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Thu, 6 Sep 2007 23:13:28 -0600
Subject: Ref: UK/9420X2/68

The National Lottery
28 Tan Field Road,
Croydon,
London.
Ref: UK/9420X2/68

We are pleased to inform you of the final announcement  of the UK National Lottery Online  thunderball Programme with draw numbers(#673)10, 16, 19, 22 ,31,ThunderBall 01, held on Friday 7 September ,2007.We wish to congratulate you over your email success in our computer BALLOTING SWEEPSTAKE.You have won the sum of ?250,000.00.
Please contact your claim agent to claim your winnings.
Name: Rev. Larry White
Email:     mailto.revbox@yahoo.com.hk
Phone:    447024086471
          447024083652,
please you are free to call for confirmation.

Yours faithfully,
Deborah Cox

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam