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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:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "hundred thousand united states dollars" (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)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• 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!
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• 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.
  • barr.williamsclarkson@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • barr.williamsclarkson@hotmail.com

Fraud email example:

From: "AMERICAN EMBASSY" <flord.me@gazeta.pl>
Reply-To: barr.williamsclarkson@gmail.com
Date: Thu, 10 Jul 2008 01:37:48 +0100
Subject: You Have Been Approved Of The Sum Of $600,000.00 (Treat As Urgent)


*UNITED STATES OF AMERICA INTERNATIONAL AWARD
Date: 10/07/2008
Ref 575061725
Batch: 8056490902/188
Winning no: KB8701/LPRC*

*Dear Sir/Madam,*
* You have Won $600,000.00!!! Contact Your Claims Department*

*We are delighted to inform you of your winning on the 16th of May 2008 from
the United States of America International Award Program which is partially
based on an electronic selection of winners using their e-mail
addresses.This won you the total sum of $600,000.00 which was attached to
the ticket number; 575061725 8056490902 serial number 6741137002 .This
batch draws the lucky numbers as follows: 4-13-33-37-42 bonus number 17,
which consequently won the lottery in the second category.*

* You have been approved of the huge sum of ($600,000.00USD) Six Hundred
Thousand United States Dollars as your won prize. TO FILE FOR YOUR CLAIM:
Simply contact our Fiducially Claims Agent through email with below
information;*

*FULL NAME:
FULL ADDRESS:
CITY:
STATE:
ZIP CODE:
DATE OF BIRTH:
NATIONALITY:
RELIGION:
PHONE NUMBER:
SEX:
AGE:
MARITAL STATUS:
OCCUPATION:
*

*Name: Barrister Williams Clarkson
E-mail: **barr.williamsclarkson@gmail.com*<http://us.mc463.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=barr.williamsclarkson@hotmail.com>
*Tel: +**447035922606*

*Please quote your Date of draw, Reference Number, Batch Number and Winning
Number, which can be found on the top-left corner of this message. Also
provide to us your telephone number for easy communication.
*

*Congratulations once again on your winning!*

* Best Regards.Mrs Flora Flore
(Lottery Co-ordinator).*

* CONTACT YOUR CLAIMS AGENT FOR DETAILS ON YOUR PRIZE CLAIM: **
barr.williamsclarkson@gmail.com*<http://us.mc463.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=barr.williamsclarkson@hotmail.com>

*Copyright (c) 1968-2008 United States of America lottery Inc All rights
reserved.*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam