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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!
  
• How to report 419 spam to us
• 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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
• 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.
  • +447031896829 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: msn2008-175@comcast.net (Microsoft Promotions)
Date: Sun, 18 May 2008 07:30:45 +0000
Subject: YOU ARE THE WINNER OF MICROSOFT INC. EMAIL PROMOTION 2008

MSN 2008 EMAIL ADDRESS PROMOTIONS
WOLDWIDE WEBBASED EMAIL USERS
Microsoft Campus
Thames Valley Park
Reading Berkshire RG6 1WG
National Lottery
2008 MICROSOFT INC PROMOTION(email address promotion)


Dear 2008 email address promotion Winner

MSN(Microsoft INC) is pleased to inform you of the result of the MICROSOFT EMAIL PROMOTIONAL DRAWS in which your email address selected among email users worldwide won the sum of £850,000[Eight hundred and fifty thousand pounds).
Congratulations on your victory,you are very lucky to have won this promotional award. For more information about this lottery and for you to begin the claim procedure, please contact your fiduciary agent Mr. Patrick Richard . You are to contact Mr. Patrick Richards with this email address and phone number.

EMAIL ADDRESS: msnprize2008@windowslive.com
TELEPHONE: (+44) 703 189 6829

Congratulations once again on your victory:

Yours sincerly
Mr. T.P. Pestea
E-Lottery co.ordinator

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam