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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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• What can you do when you receive 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:

• The following fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "uk national lottery" (can only win this lottery if you bought a ticket)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• 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!
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• 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.
  • ukclaims.section@yahoo.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: "ONLINE LOTTERY NOTIFICATION" <mr_songlile@j-mail.info>
Reply-To: ukclaims.section@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2008 07:34:03 -0600
Subject: ONLINE WINNING NOTIFICATION...CONGRATULATIONS

Attn:WINNER



We wish to notify you that this email address was randomly selected and
entered into our free Third Category draws.You have subsequently emerged a
winner and therefore entitled to a substantial amount of 750,000.00 Pounds.

YOUR WINNING DETAILS
REFERENCE NUMBER:UK/839030X2/14
BATCH NUMBER:065/088/XY24
TICKET NUMBER:023-1111-790-458

For further information, kindly confirm receipt of this email, by forwarding
this message to our claims department and you are to contact our Financial
Controller for Clearance.


Here are the contact info:
FIDUCIARY AGENT
Barrister Williams Blair
Email:ukclaims.section@yahoo.co.uk

PAYMENT PROCESSING FORM
Provide him with the information below:
1.Name:
2.Address:
3.Marital Status:
4.Occupation:
5.Age:
6.Sex:
7.Nationality:
8.Country Of Residence:
9.Telephone Number:
10.Fax Number:
11.Draw Number above:



Yours faithfully,
Mrs Margaret Morgan,
Online coordinator,UK NATIONAL LOTTERY.


___________________________________________________________
Fidelity Communications Webmail - http://webmail.fidnet.com

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam