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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
  
  
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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:
  • "million 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)
  • ",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)
  • "very confidential" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "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.
  • +31641445454 (Netherlands, prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • claims.ufa@europe.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • george_ufa@consultant.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "FREE LOTTO COMPANY" <netpoint007@aim.com>
Date: Mon, 03 Mar 2008 19:19:40 +0200
Subject: Congratulations! Awaited Result



CONGRATULATIONS ! PLS, CONTACT YOUR AGENT

FREE LOTTO COMPANY

INTERNATIONAL AWARD
PROMOTION DEPT.

REF NO: DSR/ 65474/31-ESA
BATCH NO: DDL/3478/07PTNL

RE: WINNING FINAL NOTIFICATION

Sir/Madam,

We are pleased to inform you of the result of the Lottery Winners
International programs held on the 10th December 07. Your e-mail
address attached to ticket number 878-117423-007 with serial
number 341-843-11536-759 drew lucky numbers
1-33-01-883/1-7 which consequently won in
the 3rd category. You have therefore been approved for
a sum pay out of $2,000 000 USD.
(Two Million Dollars). CONGRATULATIONS!!! This is
from the total sum of 10,000 000 United State Dollars category for
three winners.

You are advised to keep your winning information very confidential
till your claims has been processed and your prize/money
remitted to you. Due to mix up of some numbers and names. And this
is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming
and unwarranted abuse of this program by some participants. All
participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn
from over 1,000,000 company and 300,000,000 individual
email addresses and names from all over the world. This
promotional program takes place annually. We hope with part of
your winning you will take part in our next year USD100,000 000 million
international lottery. To file for your claim, please contact
our/your fiducial agent

UNIVERSAL FUNDS AGENCY
FINANCE & CLAIMS MANAGEMENT SERVICES
EMAIL: claims.ufa@europe.com
TEL: 0031-6414 -45454

MRS. ESTHER JOSSY

OR

MR. GEORGE BROWN
CHIEF FIDUCIARY
EMAIL: george_ufa@consultant.com

Note that all unclaimed funds will be
included in the next stake. Please note in order to avoid
unnecessary delays and complications please remember to quote
your reference number and batch numbers in all
correspondence.

Further, should there be any change of address
do inform our agent as soon as possible.

Congratulations once more from our members of staff and
thank you for being part of our promotional program.

Note: Anybody under the age of 21 is automatically disqualified.

Kind regards
Mrs. Yuping Jai AcHaempong
Lottery Coordinator.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam