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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
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• Company names mentioned in 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:
  • "claims 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.
  • +447045758917 (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.
  • claims.desk12@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: karla@mchsi.com (Award Committee)
Date: Mon, 26 May 2008 06:49:41 +0000
Subject: REF NX.: LU/39-U091X592008

Lotto Unlimited
Millfield House,
Millfield Road, Bolton BL2 6QZ

YOUR AWARD ALERT FOR MAY 2008

Lotto Unltd. wishes to inform you that the results of the E-mail address ballot
lottery international program by Great Britain held on 24th May, 2008. Your
email account have been picked as a winner of a lump sum pay out of Five hundred
and thirty-one thousand, two hundred and fifty-nine Great Britain pounds
(£531,259.00 pounds sterlings) in cash credited to file REF NO. REF:
LU/39-U091X592007. This is from total prize money of GBP £2,656,295.00 shared
among the FIVE (5) international winners in this category.

To begin your claim, please contact your claims agent with your Full
Name,Contact Address and Tel Number.

Mr Simon Heebner.
Email: claims.desk12@gmail.com
Tel: +44-704-575-8917

He will brief you on steps to be taken for due processing and remittance of your
prize money.

Note below your winning details:

Serial Nº: A0409-07
File REF Nº.: LU/39-U091X592008
BATCH Nº.: 2008LU-G393

Sincerely,
Mrs. Deborah Hunniford
Online Coordinator.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam