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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:

• 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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • ",500,000" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • "00,000.00" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
• 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.
  • +447011121397 (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.
  • verification_batchnumber2007@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: UK NATIONAL LOTTRY AWARD<verification_batchnumber2007@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 22:16:36 -0900
Subject: Winning Notification/Award 2007

FROM THE DESK OF THE DIRECTOR PROMOTIONS,
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT,
THE NATIONAL LOTTERY.
MORTIMER HOUSE,MORTIMER STREET,
LONDON,W1T3JH
UNITED KINGDOM.

NOTIFICATION (UKON 2007)
Ref No: UKON-5464K2/71
Batch Number: AT-040SB06-03
Lucky Numbers: 34.13.26.19.02.12.[08] Bonus Ball

ATTENTION: WINNER ,

You have been Selected in the UKON 2007 Lotto Program. Our lotto program selection has finally been performed today
which was held at the Marina office.UK Promotion is a joint Euro/America private lottery registered and organized in
accordance with the World Lotto Regulation act.

We the National Lotto organizing committee are pleased to officially notify you of the status of your email
application.An official notification of winning is hereby issued to you as your email promotion ticket randomly drew for
the Lucky Numbers: 34.13.26.19.02.12.[08]Bonus Ball
which selected your email as the 2ND winner of our lotto program you have consequently won the lottery program in the
first batch.

Suffice to say here, We have officially approved a sum payout of £500,000.00 GBP to you as the lottery winner.This
amount is from total prize cash of £1,500,000.00 GBP randomly distributed among Three (3) international winners
selected by our Lotto Random System Selection(LRSS).

Note:To begin the process of your claim, fill and return the
Verification & Funds Release form to your accredited claims agent now.

FIDUCIARY DEPT:
NAME: STANLEY MOORE.(CLAIMS OFFICER)
Phone +44 701 112 1397
Email:verification_batchnumber2007@hotmail.com

VERIFICATION AND FUNDS RELEASE FORM
*SURNAME :
*MIDDLE NAME:
*AGE:
*SEX:
*ADDRESS:
*COUNTRY:
*WINNING EMAIL ADDRESS:
*MARITAL STATUS:
*OCCUPATION:
*PHONE NUMBER:
*FAX NUMBER:
*LUCKY NUMBER :
*REF NUMBER:

Sincerely,
Tracy L. Miller (Mrs)
Zonal Co-ordinator

--

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam