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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
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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")
  • ",000,000" (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)
  • "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
• 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.
  • +447040102929 (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.
  • taggedagentcombs1@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: TAGGED PROMOTION <info54@tagged.com>
Date: 07 Jan 2008 14:37:33 -0000
Subject: TAGGED ONLINE WINNING UPDATE CONTACT OUR CLAIMS DEPT

THE RIDGE WAY UNITED KINGDOM
FROM:TAGGED MEMBERS AWARD DEPT.
REF: SUN/2010-968091/03
BATCH: 54/010/IPD
DATE: 07/01/2008

RE: EMAIL WINNING CONFIRMATION NOTICE.

We are glad to inform you that your E-mail address appears as
the confirmed Winner of our last TAGGED email lottery program
held on the 10TH OF NOV 2007.Your e-mail address attached to
ticket number 20675543256786 with Serial number 3765-75 drew
lucky numbers 7-12-18-24-32-?45, which Consequently won in the
2nd category, you have therefore been approved For a lump sum
payment of US$1,500.000.0?0 United State
Dollars.dollar?s{US$1,500.000.00}.
CONGRATULATION?S!!!

This promotional program takes place every year. All
participants were selected through a computer ball system drawn
from over 100,000 companies and 50,000,000 individual TAGGED
MEMBERS and names from all over the world.In order to avoid
unnecessary delays and complications please remember to que your
reference number and batch numbers in all correspondence?.We ask
that you keep your winning information confidential until your
claims has been processed and your money remitted to
you.Remember all winnings must be claimed not later than 31ST
JAN 2008. After this date all unclaimed funds will be included
in the next stake.To file for your claim or for further details,
please contact our Claims Agent Dr Ross Combs at
taggedagentcombs1@yahoo.com Tel: +44 704 010 2929 In respect of
our committment towards helping the less previledge, we ask that
you voluntarily contribute 1% of your TAGGED winnings to any
charity organization you desire at your convinience.
Congratulation?s once more from our members of staff.

Mrs. Anita O'Sullivan
Global Winning co-ordinator.

Our winners are assured of the utmost standards of
Confidentiality, and press anonymity until the end of
proceedings, and beyond where they so desire. Be further advised
to maintain the strictest level of confidentialit?y until the
end of proceedings to circumvent problems associated with
fraudulent claims. This is part of our precautionary measure to
avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program. Any
lottery double claim dedected by our monitoring committeewill
lead to the UK TAGGED Promo lottery cancelling the
winnings,making a loss for both the real winner, and the
fake(intended) claimer.

WARNING!!! ANY MAIL RECIEVED OF THIS SUCH WITH ANY KIND OF TRADE
MARK OR ADDRESS SHOULD BE FORWARD TO THIS BOX IMMEDIATELY THIS
WILL HELP US TO FIGHT SCAM AND LOTTERY IMPOSTERS .THANK YOU FOR
YOUR ANTICIPATED CO-OPERATION.

Follow this link to sign up:
http://audubonaction.org/audubon/join.html?rk=67eI%2d0SzGVbP

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam