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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:

• 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:
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • ",500,000" (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.
  • +447031846649 (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.
  • talk2010angus@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "anthony angus" <anthonyangus52@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 6 Aug 2008 10:21:11 +0200
Subject: AWARD NOTIFICATION

UK-ONLINE LOTTERY NOTIFICATION
DESK OF THE MANAGING DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS / PRIZE AWARD
DEPARTMENT HEADQUARTERS: BRIDGE 1 MILL, 292A WALE STREET
MANCHESTER M4 7HR, ENGLAND

REFERENCE Nº: YMT/899001/7
BATCH Nº: 69/40712/5UK

AWARD NOTIFICATION

Southern Metropolitan Royal Finance Lottery of British International
Lottery Program wishes to inform you the results of the E-mail address
ballot lottery program held by the British International Lottery Program
on 31st JULY, 2008. Your Email account was selected as a winner of Five
Hundred and Fifty Thousand Pounds Only. (£550,000.00).

This result is now made available to you and your email address attached
to Reference # YMT/899001/7 and Batch # 69/40712/5UK in the Category A
bonus ball 07, 19, 26, 31, 40, 46, and bonus ball 50. Participants in the
draws were randomly selected through a computer ballot system drawn from
2,500,000 e-mail addresses of Individuals/Companies from Europe, Africa,
Americas , Asia, Australia , Canada , Middle East, and New Zealand as part
of our electronic business Promotions Program.

We advice that you keep your winning information confidential until your
claims has been processed and your money released to you. This is part of
our security protocol to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of
this program. For the release of your winnings; kindly contact your claims
agent with the following details to expedite the processing of your prize
winning.

1. Your Full Names
2. Your Home Address
3. Your Telephone and Fax Numbers
4. Your Date of Birth
5. Your Sex/Marital Status
6. Your Occupation
7. Your Nationality
8. Amount you won
9. Send your reference and batch numbers for verification.

To begin your Claim, please contact our Claims Agents Immediately with the
Following Information:

NAME: ken adams
TELEPHONE NUMBER: +44 7031846649
EMAIL: talk2010angus@yahoo.com

All winning must be claimed not later than 14 days from the date of
receipt of this email. After this date all prize winning will treated as
Unclaimed. Note in order to avoid unnecessary delays; remember to quote
your Reference and Batch numbers.

Congratulations once again from all our members of staff and thank you for
being part of our special quarterly promotional Lottery program.

Yours Sincerely,
MRS RITA WILLIAMS
(Information and Promotion Manager)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam