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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "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.
  • +447031842610 (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.
  • johnlarry@rocketmail.com

Fraud email example:

From: "UK LOTTERY ORGANIZATION" <larry@infosonicmails.info>
Reply-To: johnlarry@rocketmail.com
Date: Fri, 04 Jul 2008 02:37:51 +0000
Subject: Your e-mail address has won you US$4,600,000.00




Your e-mail address has won you US$4,600,000.00
UK LOTTERY ORGANIZATION
TICKET FREE/ONLINE E-MAIL ADDRESS WINNINGS DEPARTMENT.
TELEPHONE: +44 703-184-2610

If you are the correct owner of this email address then be glad this day as the result of the UK lotto online e-mail address draws of 30st june 2008 held this time in Dubai - United Arab Emirates has just been released and we are glad to announce to you that your email address won you the sweepstakes in the first category and you are entitled to claim the sum of US$4.6Million.

Your email address was entered for the online draw on this Ticket Number: APP23656675471 and won on this Lucky Number: MX014926583. You are to contact Mr.Larry john. on the below email address for available options on how to receive your winnings fund. Note that Mr.Larry john. might fail to recognize you as the true winner and receiver of the US$4,600,000 if you fail to include the following in your contact mail to him:

Your country of origin and country of residence/work, complete official names, address, amount won, free ticket and lucky numbers, date of draw, contact telephone and mobile numbers. OPTIONAL :- [Sex, age, occupation and job title].

Mr.Larry john.
E-mail Address:johnlarry@rocketmail.com
From:Online Winning Notification Department,
UK LOTTERY ORGANIZATION.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam