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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")
  • ",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)
• 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!

Fraud email example:

From: "Lottery America" <lottamerica4@googlemail.com>
Reply-To: winners@strompost.info
Date: Sat, 5 Jul 2008 19:36:20 +0100
Subject: How you won e-Lottery America


Lottery America,
Long Island
1000 Zeckendorf Boulevard
Garden City, NY 11530


WINNING PARAMETERS
Ref:8,22,32,41,53,57;
Bonus,23;
Lotto Extra,16
Batch:2008MJL-01



WINNING NOTIFICATION


Dear Winner,


We wish to congratulate and inform you on the selection of your email coupon
number which was selected among the 6 lucky consolation prize winners Your
email ID identified with Ref:8,22,32,41,53,57 and was selected by our
E-games Random Selection System (ERSS) with entries from the 50,000
different email addresses enrolled for the E-game.you have been awarded the
sum of $2,000,000.
You are to contact the claims agent with the following details for the
release of your winnings.


Claims Requirements:
1.Name in full:...............................
2.Home Address:..........................
3.Phone Number(s):.........................
4.Age:.............................................
5.Occupation:................................
6.Sex:............................................
7.Marital Status:........................
8.Amount Won:.............................
9.Ref #:..................................


Contact:
Mr. Dennis Taylor
1000 Zeckendorf Boulevard
Garden City, NY 11530 USA.
Email: winners@strompost.info
Customer Support Unit
United State Lottery Fiduciary.

Once again we congratulate you on this e-Lottery winning.

Regards,
Ms. Lisa Johnson

http://www.lotteryamerica.com
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/26/nyregion/26lottery.html?

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam