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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
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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:
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "claims office" (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!
• 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.
  • +447031898675 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: "juiuyw hyuyujui" <kjkjkihumanyu@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:09:24 +0200
Subject: FM for U....


*The Multi Spin Email Lottery
20-22 Bedford Row
London WC1R 4JS
United Kingdom
Dear Winner,

We are pleased to announce you as one of the 3 lucky winners in The Multi
Spin Email Lottery draw held on the 17th of July, 2008. All 3 winning email
addresses were randomly selected from a batch of 5,000,000 international
emails. Your email address emerged alongside 2 others as a 3rd category
winner in this month's draw.Consequently, you have therefore been approved
for a total pay out of £850,000 Pounds (Eight Hundred and Fifty Thousand
pounds) only. The following particulars are attached to your lotto payment
order:

(i) Winning numbers: 20,58,1,17,89,33
(ii) Serial number: 223-452-1
(iii) Lotto batch number: INT-12036
(iv) Reference number: TML-206-9

Please contact the under listed claims officer as soon as possible for the
immediate release of your winnings;

Mr. Michael Morley
Claims Manager
Matrix Finance Company
Email: **michael@matrixfcc.com* <michael@matrixfcc.com>
*Tel: +44 7031898675
Fax: +44 7005981754

This is to give you a brief explanation of how you emerged a winner in The
Multi Spin Email Lottery . The third category draws of The Multi Spin Email
Lottery is a promotional draw, whereby participants do not have to buy
tickets to formally enter into the draws, about 5,000,000 international and
local emails were selected randomly by a computer ballot system and entered
into the draws, you consequently emerged as one of the 3 winners in this
category. This entitles you to a cash prize of £850,000.

Once again on behalf of all our staff, CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Sincerely,
Jake Ferguson
Promotions Manager
Tel: +44-7534358803*

*Note:
1. All claims are nullified after 10 working days from today.
2. Your Ref number must be in all your mails with the claims officer.
3. Do inform the claims officer of any change of names or addresses.
4. All winners under the age of 18 are automatically disqualified.
5. Please contact your claims agent by fax or email (Mr. Michael Morley)
*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam