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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:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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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:
  • "tax clearance" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. )
  • "inheritance tax" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. )
  • "inland revenue board" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. )
  • "inland revenue board" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. )
  • "deadline" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "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 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.
  • +447031832462 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: BRITISH INLAND REVENUE BOARD <revenueboard@hotmail.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 5 Oct 2007 13:05:31 +0000
Subject: =?windows-1256?Q?0.05%_TAX_CLEARANCE_FEE_REQUIRED=FE?=







HM REVENUE & CUSTOMS
21 Wilson Street, London,
England EC2M 2TD.
Tel .. +44 703 1832 462 +44 703 1832 944




Dear La Donna Settlemyre,

The British Inland Revenue Board was, until April 2005, a department of the British Government responsible for the collection of direct taxation, including income tax, national insurance contributions, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, corporation tax etc.The Inland Revenue was merged with HM Customs and Excise to form a new department, HM Revenue and Customs, with effect from 18 April 2005. However, it is still widely, if erroneously, known by British people as the legal tax department, and often referred to as "the Revenue".Work is still continuing on our office restructuring programme. We are here to ensure the correct tax is paid at the right time, whether this relates to payment of taxes received by the department or entitlement to benefits paid

A recall order has been placed on your winning Cheque by this board which hitherto was on transit.

REASON Your failure to secure the Inland revenue board tax clearance which Authenticates and validates your winning as mandated by Inland revenue board Regulations of September 2006, which took effect from the 8Th of April 2006. In light of this, you will be required to pay 0.05% of the total money written on your winning cheque as tax clearance fee duly accumulated by your winning parcel before delivery will be allowed.Note that 0.05% of 956420 pounds is 478.21 pounds(four hundred and seventy-eight pounds plus).This is equal to $996 US DOLLARS

Note that the prize is protected by a hardcover insurance policy, which makes it impossible for anyone to deduct any amount from this winning cheque 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 the parcel will be release to THE INTERNATIONAL COURIER SYSTEMS for delivery.This is in accordance with section(13)1n of the national gambling acts adopted in 1993and amended on 3rd July 1996 by the constitutional assembly, this is to protect winners and to avoid misappropriation of funds .


Kindly accept this due process for it is the only way we can permit/clear this parcel for delivery to any part of the world.On acknowledgment of this email, I will furnish you with information on how to make the required Tax payment.

Also be reminded that the deadline for claiming this winning parcel is exactly 7 working days after the receipt of this email. After this period, your winning prize will be deemed to have been forfeited by you and be seize permanently by this board.
Mr Terry Spence
BRITISH INLAND REVENUE BOARD ============================================================="BRITISH INLAND REVENUE BOARD " is a registered and copyright trade marks of HM Revenue and Customs
=============================================================This e-mail and any files transmitted with it are confidential and may be legally privileged and are solely for the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this e-mail in error please delete this message and any attachment files, or contact BRITISH INLAND REVENUE BOARD All Tax clearance is transacted under our Standard Tax Terms and Conditions a copy of which is available upon request . E .& .O. E . All liability for viruses is excluded to the fullest extent permitted by law.
_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam