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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:

• 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.
  • +447031942595 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: "News Center." <alexanmg@slu.edu>
Reply-To: cgnlwilliamgore01@live.com
Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:18:20 -0500
Subject: Congratulation.....Dear Lucky Winner.!!!

Dear Lucky Winners,

The Camelot Group UK, organizers of The National Lottery
wishes to inform you that the results of the E-mail address
ballot lottery international program held on the 25th of
June 2008. Your email account has been picked as a winner of
a total lump sum payout of Eight hundred and ninety-one
thousand,nine hundred and thirty-four Great Britain pounds (
891,934.00 pounds sterlings).from the Oversea Winners
Processing Department, Please contact your Claims Agent:

Name: Mr William Gore,
E-mail:cgnlwilliamgore01@live.com
UNITED KINGDOM.
Tel:+44-703-1942-595.

VERIFICATION AND FUNDS RELEASE FORM
***************************************
1.FULLNAMES:_____2.ADDRESS:_____3.CITY:______4.STATE:_____5.POSTCODE:_____6.COUNTRY:_____7.SEX:_____8.AGE:_____9.OCCUPATION:____10.TELEPHONENUMBER:____

CHOOSE YOUR CLAIM OPTION (1) courier delivery (2)Bank Wire
Transfer
sincerely,
Mrs.Dianne Thompson,Online Coordinator.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam