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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:
  • ",000,000" (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)
  • "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.
  • +447011150676 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: zurichlotterien32@comcast.net (Zurich Lotterien)
Date: Fri, 04 Jul 2008 13:58:01 +0000
Subject: Congratulations ! ! ! You Have Won One Million Euro

Zürich Lotterien
Central Office.
Management and Central Services:
Weg 205 B - 02241, zum Erfolgreichen, Switzerland.

Zürich Lotterien draws was conducted from an exclusive list of 20,000,000 e-mail addresses of individual and
corporate bodies picked by an automated random computer ballot search from the internet as part of our
international promotions program which we conduct every year. No tickets were sold.

This program is organized by the international lotto and games subcommittee, endorsed by the European lottery
guild in conjunction with NGO organizations in Switzerland.

After this automated computer ballot, your e-mail address attached to serial number 02-87-87 drew the lucky numbers
4-11-41-26-02-62, which consequently emerged you as one of first ten (10) lucky winners in the United Kingdom category.

You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay off of €1,000,000.00 (One Million EURO) in cash credited to file
ZL/08/4008. This is from total cash prize of €50 Million Euro shared amongst the first fifty- (50) lucky winners all around
the world. Your funds are now deposited in an offshore bank with a hardcover insurance.

You are required to send the necessary information as regards your chosen
option to our help line below:

Zürich Lotterien
Information and Payment Bureau:
London Representative Office
Help Service Contact
Tel: +44 701-115-0676
E-mail: zurichhelpline@live.com

Mrs. Kirt Loberg.
Promotions Manager.
Zürich Lotterien

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam