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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:

• 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.
  • +447031954055 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: sweepstakesuk@live.com
Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2007 03:08:25 -0900
Subject: CLAIM YOUR AWARD!!!!!!

Ref: UK/9420X2/68
Batch: 074/05/ZY369
Date:9/11/007

We are giving out a yearly donation of £600,000(Six hundred thousand pounds sterlings) to 20,lucky recipients as
charity donations from the International program. Online Sweepstakes International program held on 30/10/2007.Your
e-mail address attached to ticket number: 56475600545 188 with Serial number 5368/02 drew the lucky numbers: which
subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd category.You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of £600,000
Please include your name Tel number and also your mailing address for immediate processing of your claims. all prizes
must be claimed within one,week.If this account truly exist reply back to this mail.

FILL THIS FORM BELLOW PLEASE AND RESEND IT TO ME.

1) Your Full Name..............................
2) Your Age..........................................
3) Marital Status..................................
4) Your Phone Number…………….
5) Your Fax Numbers……………….
6) Your Country………………...........
7) Your Occupation.............................
8)Sex.......................................................
9) Your Religion...................................

Contact: Mr.Russell Weaver
Tel: +447031954055
+447024074701
E-mail: sweepstakesuk@live.com

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam