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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
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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.
• 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.
  • williambourne01@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: <onlineintagent@centrum.cz>
Date: Fri, 14 Sep 2007 17:47:33 +0200
Subject: EURO MILLION EMAIL WINNING.........


EURO MILLION NATIONAL LOTTERY
Blano Anabas 28-4 Parla ,
Madrid , Spain.
http://onlae.terra.es/indexp.htm

TICKET NUMBER: REF No: EUM-L/200-26937
BATCH No:MLS2007/ML-301
Dear Selected winner,

You have been contacted, because your email address has won you our yearly award. You have been approved for the star prize of 750,000.00 Euros (Sever hunderd and fifty thousand Euros ONLY) To file in for winning prize with the ReleasEe Order Form you have to Contact the Security Agent with the information below.
Send the Agent your Full Names, Age, Address, Occupation, Telephone/Fax Number via email for the immediate release of your winnings:
NOTE: You are to contact our SECURITY AGENT officer immediately with the Email and telephone number stated below:
EURO MILLION PAYMENT
CENTER MADRID SPAIN
Contact Person: Mr. William Bourne
EMAIL ADDRESS: williambourne01@yahoo.co.uk
Sincerely,
Mrs. Michael Anderson
for EURO MILLION LOTTERY
(Online Promo Co-ordinator).
www.euromillion.com

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam