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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")
  • "claims director" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "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 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.
  • sircedricmorgan01@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • sircedricmorgan@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: sircedricmorgan01@hotmail.com
Date: Thu, 07 Feb 2008 02:26:53 -1100
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS!!! YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS HAS WON =?ISO-8859-1?B?ozUwMCwwMDAuMDA=?= IN THE YAHOO PROMOTIONS

We are pleased to inform you of the result of the Yahoo Patronage
Bonanza held on the 01/01/2008.Your e-mail address attached to ticket
number883734657492-5319 with serial number 7263-267, batch number
8254297137, lottery ref number 7336065782 and drew lucky numbers
14-22-28-37-40-44 which consequently won in the 1st category, you have
therefore been approved for a lump sum payout of £500,000.00 (i.e Five
Hundred Thousand United Kingdom Pounds).To file for your claims, please
contact our claims director Mr.Cedric Morgan.to claim your prize please
contact:

SIR.CEDRIC MORGAN
REMMITANCE DIRECTOR
YAHOO PROMOTIONS UK
44 Moorfields London EC2Y 9AL UNITED KINGDOM
E-mail: sircedricmorgan01@hotmail.com, sircedricmorgan@hotmail.com

You are required to contact our designated claims agent with the
following underlisted informations:Full Names, Contact ddress,Telephone
Numbers,Fax, Location and Occupation.Congratulations once again from
all members of staff and thank you for being part of our promotions
program.Happy New Year

Mrs.Amelia Hunts
Promotional Manager

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam