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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:
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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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • " lotto international " (no such lottery exists)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "claims director" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "00,000.00" (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)
• 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.
  • +447045742658 (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.
  • ccluk_claimofficedept@yahoo.com.hk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "City Lotto U.K" <cluk_claimofficedept@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Tue, 1 Jul 2008 17:23:22 -0400
Subject: Winning Lottery Results Alet!!

 

--
FROM THE DESK OF IAN WILLAIMS,
THE ZONAL COORDINATOR,
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT,
CITY LOTTO,
UNITED KINGDOM.
Ref: CLUK/475061725
Batch: 7056490902/188

WINNING NOTIFICATION

Congratulations!!!

We happily announce to you the draw of the City Lotto International
program held in London. Your e-mail address attached to ticket
number:454-75632545-299 with Serial number 7917/06. You have therefore
been approved to claim a total sum of £500,000.00 GBP (Five Hundred
Thousand pounds) in cash credited to file C/7450118308/89. From the total
cash prize shared amongst eight lucky winners in this category.

All participants were selected through a computer ballot draw system drawn
from Nine hundred thousand E-mail addresses from Canada, Australia,
United States, Asia, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Oceania as part of
our international promotions program which is conducted annually.

Please note that your lucky winning number falls within our European
booklet representative office in UK as indicated in our play coupon. In
view of this, your won funds of £500,000.00 GBP (Five Hundred Thousand
Great Britain pounds) would be released to you by our claims director in
the payment center here in London.

The Claims Director will immediately commence the process to facilitate
the release of your funds to you as soon as you make contact with him.
For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information
confidential till your claim is processed and your money transferred to a
designated bank account of your choice. This is a part of our
precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of
this program by some unscrupulous elements. Please be warned.

CLAIMS PROCEDURES:
To begin your claims therefore, you are advised as a matter of urgency,
to contact the under listed licensed and accredited claims Director for
the processing of your prize award winning. Please contact the accredited
agent assigned with the verification of all emerged winners.

Claims Director: Mr. David Newton / Mrs. Rachel Fodd
Email: ccluk_claimofficedept@yahoo.com.hk
Phone: +44 704 574 2658
+44 704 573 8158

Note that all claim process and clearance procedures must be duly
completed early to avoid impersonation arising to the issue of double
claim.

To avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please quote your
Reference and Batch numbers in any correspondences with the Claims
Director.

Congratulations once more from all members and staffs of this program.

NB: PLEASE SEE THAT YOU QUOTE YOUR REF AND BATCH NUMBERS IN YOUR
CORRESPONDENCE TO YOUR CLAIMS AGENT.

Yours Faithfully,
Mr. Ian Willaims.
AFRO-ASIAN Zonal Coordinator.
City Lotto International.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam