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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.
• The following fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "royal national lottery" (no such lottery exists)
• 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 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.
  • +447045754034 (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.
  • claimsofficer.richardness@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: UK ONLINE LOTTERY <theresa-uk1@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <claimsofficer.richardness@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:30:15 -0400
Subject: OFFICIAL PRIZE NOTIFICATION



OFFICIAL PRIZE NOTIFICATIONRef Number: BT:12052005/21Batch Number: 12/25/0034

We are pleased to inform you of the result of the just concluded UK Online Email Winners International programs held on 11th October 2007.Your email address have been selected as one of the 10 lucky winning address for a lump sum payout of £65,350.00 pounds sterlings, which is equivalent to $129,615.00 US Dollar.
To file and claim your winning contact your claim agent with your Reference and Batch Numbers:

Contact Person: Mr. Richard Ness. Tel: +44 70457 54034 +44 70457 12956Email:claimsofficer.richardness@yahoo.co.uk

For further clarification/verification of your claims, Please callofficial number or Contact via E-mail immediately with: 1, Amount won:2, Winning E-mail address:3, Batch Number:4, Reference Number:5, Full Name:6, Phone number:

Good luck from me and members of staff of the UK ROYAL NATIONAL LOTTERY.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Yours Faithfully,

Mrs. Theresa K. WilliamsPromotions Manager.

© Copyright 1994-2006 the U.K. Royal National Lottery Inc.
_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam