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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:
  • "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)
  • ",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.
  • +447011152991 (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.
  • linktrustfinance33@googlemail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "PREMIER LOTTERY UK 2008 PROMO" <research@mail.usc.edu.tw>
Reply-To: linktrustfinanceuk33@googlemail.com
Date: Sat, 09 Aug 2008 19:37:56 +0800 (CST)
Subject: Congratulations Category A prize winner !!!


<<<{Draws Notification For Category A Prize Winner!!!}>>>

Dear Prize winner,

Congratulations Category A prize winner! You have been selected as oneof two winners of the PREMIER LOTTERY UK 2008 PROMO,computer ballotdraw sand thus will be a privileged recipient of the grand draw prizeof ¢G2,500,000 From a total sum of ¢G5,000,000 shared among the 2 winnerin this category. You/Your company, attached to Winning File ReferencenumberPLUK/2030/0181/08; ticket number 101-OIO-77/A.Contact your claimsagent:

MRS. Susan EDWARDS
FINANCIAL DIRECTOR
LINK TRUST FINANCE LTD
EMAIL: linktrustfinance33@googlemail.com
TEL: +44 701 115 2991
TEL: +44 702 406 6483

Please Send to MRS.SUSAN EDWARDS. the information below via her companyemail for the processing and transfer of your win toyou:EMAIL:linktrustfinance33@googlemail.com

LOTTERY CLAIMS PERSONAL DETAILS

Full Name: ___Complete Address____Country:_____Age:_____Sex:__ marital
status:____Occupation:____Telephone:_____Fax:____E-mail:_____

Congratulations once again from all our staff and thank you for beingpart of our promotions program. You advised to send your filled LotteryWinnings Claims Form to your claims agent via her emailaddress>>EMAIL:linktrustfinance33@googlemail.com


Yours faithfully,
MR. SONG LI LIE
Online coordinator
for THE PREMIER LOTTER

--==Mailed via USC Mail==--

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam