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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 phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claims 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.
  • +447045719001 (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.
  • informationclaimoffice@yahoo.ie (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: uk_lotto000@mchsi.com (BMW LOTTERY<fiduciaryclaimsagent011@yahoo.co.uk>)
Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2007 22:34:24 +0000
Subject: Pre: Winners Notice!!

The Irish Lottery
P O Box 1010
11 G Lower Dorset Street,
Dublin 1, Ireland
(Customer Services)

Dear Winner

This is to inform you that you have been selected fora cash prize of £475,318
(GBP) in cash credited to file KTU/9023118308/03. held on the 13th of October.
2007 in Uk.The selection process wascarried out through random selection in
our computerized email selection system(ess) from a database of over 25,000
email addresses drawn fromwhich you were selected.

The Irish National Lottery is approved by the Uk Gaming Board. In other to
claim your won Amount £475,318(GBP) prize from thelottery board you are
required to contact our Claims Agent here in the UK with the details below:

Name Of Claims Agent: MRS. LEILA GREEN
Email address : informationclaimoffice@yahoo.ie

PAYMENT PROCESSING FORM
1.FULL NAMES:
2.ADDRESS:
3.SEX:
4.AGE:
5.MARITAL STATUS
6.OCCUPATION:
7.E-MAIL ADDRESS:
8.TELEPHONE NUMBER:
9.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF COMPANY/INDIVIDUAL
10.AMOUNT WON:
11. COUNTRY


Yours faithfully,
SIR. ALAN CLARKSON
Phone :+447045719001
Fax :+447075707738.
Online coordinator for THE IRISH LOTTERY
Sweepstakes International Program.

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam