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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
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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 united state 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)
  • "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.
  • +66873537796 (Thailand, probably a 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.
  • parkuchidaclaimsagent@gmail.com
  • parkuchida4_g8lo@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "powerball lottery" <powerballinternationallotto2a@mail.mn>
Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:17:30 +0700
Subject: Good day


POWERBALL ONLINE INT'L JACKPOT/ LOTTERY ASSOCIATION
ASIA PACIFIC REGIONAL OFFICE
BANGKOK THAILAND

This is to inform you of the release of the Power ball Online Lottery
PRIZE DRAW, held on the 5th of June 2008.

Your email was attached to ticket number 085-12876077-09 with serial
number 51390-0 that drew the lucky numbers of 03-06-18-10-12-16-27, which
consequently won the lottery in the 5th category. You have therefore
been approved for a lump sum pay of $2.000, 000.00. (TWO MILLION UNITED
STATE DOLLARS ONLY), in cash credited to file with REF:
N.EGS/3662367114/13. This is from a total cash prize of 50,020.225.00,
shared among
the twenty-five international winners in this category. The lucky
numbers:
03 06 08 10 12 16 27

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

You are required to file a letter of claim to the coordinator for
further instructions and directives on how to claim your prize.

All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn
from 25,000 names, email addresses & official addresses, from Asia,
Australia, New Zealand, Europe, North and South America, Middle East and
Africa, as part of our International Promotions Program.

We hope your lucky email will draw a bigger cash prize in the
subsequent programs. To begin your lottery claims, Please contact our
coordinator as follows,

NAME: Mr.Park Uchida.
Powerball Towers,45/4 Silom road,
Radjamdamrin ,23002 Bangkok , Thailand
TEL: +66873537796
Email: parkuchidaclaimsagent@gmail.com
Email: parkuchida4_g8lo@yahoo.com



NOTE: In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please
remember to quote your reference and batch numbers in all correspondences
with us, Furthermore, should there be any change of address, please do
inform our Cordinator as soon possible.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Once again from all members of our staff and thank
you for being a part of our International Promotions program.

We wish you continued good fortunes.

Sincerely,

Dr.Tina Akira,
President
Powerball Online Int'l Jackpot/Lottery Association
Asia Pacific Region

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam