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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:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "million us dollars" (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)
  • "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
• 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.
  • +447011136997 (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.
  • powerball_bv2008@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: =?us-ascii?Q?POWERBALL=20ONLINELOTTERY?= <Fiedor.Vojta@seznam.cz>
Date: Sun, 17 Feb 2008 18:38:52 +0100 (CET)
Subject: =?us-ascii?Q?Ref=20Nr=3APBL=2FCN=2F6654=2FCP?=


POWERBALL LOTTO -wheel E-game 2008
Date: FEB, 17th, 2008
Ref Nr:PBL/CN/6654/CP
Dear Consultation Prize Winner,

Dear Winner

This is to notify you that you have won ($2,million US Dollars) only,in our online email lottery in which e-mail addresses are picked randomly by computerised balloting, powered by the Internet.Your email address was amongst those chosen for this period.

RefNr:PBL/CN/6654/CP

fill the following information below and send it to this email address:

Email:powerball_bv2008@hotmail.com

1,FULL NAME ...............

2,YOUR ADDRESS...............

3,TELEPHONE NUMBER ............

4,COUNTRY/NATIONALITY.............

7.We have two major options of delivering winnings to our winners at
Powerball lottery,please we will like you to indicate the option thatis preferable to you as stated below:

1) TRAVELLING TO THE PAYMENT CENTRE FOR CASH COLLECTION (Send flight
itinerary to confirm your arrival/appointment
Date}:.....................................................

(2)by courier service:...................................................

To avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please quote your
reference/batch numbers and Name in any cor espondences with us or our
designated agent.

Congratulations once more from all members and staffs of this
program.Thank you for being part of our promotional lotteryprogram.

To claim your prize, please contact:

Fiduciary Agent
Mr James Cole,
Tell:+447 011 136 997
Email:powerball_bv2008@hotmail.com

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam