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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:
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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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "claims office" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
• 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.
  • +447031964995 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: POWERBALL LOTTERY INT <ppps@telecom.cz>
Reply-To: ukclaimsunit@hotmail.com
Date: Sun, 17 Aug 2008 14:26:31 GMT
Subject: Your Email.ID Have Won!!Call For Claim Tel: +44-703-196-4995




PowerBall Online Lottery
P=2E O=2E Box 4279
Liverpool=2C L70 1NL UNITED KINGDOM
(Customer Services)
Ref=3A MELI-T/ 17-F044262312
Batch=3A7056490902/188

Dear Sir/Madam=2C
We are delighted to inform you that your Email Account have won you the
Sum of =A3500=2C000=2E00 GBP which is Equivalent to (=24917=2C956=2E00 U=
SD)=2Efrom the
PowerBall Lottery program held in London=2EYour e-mail address attached =
to
ticket number=3A023-0148-790-459 ( 03-06)=2CSerial number 7917/06=2Cdrew=
the lucky
number=3A 29=2EYou are to contact the Claims Officer for further details=
=2C with
the following=3A

Ref No=3A MELI-T/ 17-F044262312
Batch=3A 7056490902/188
Serial Number=3A 7917/06

Details to Contact Claims Officer

Name=3A Mr=2EWilliam Wlcox
Email=3Aukclaimsunit=40hotmail=2Ecom
Tel=3A +44-703-196-4995

PAYMENT PROCESSING FORM
1=2E Full Names=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
2=2E Address=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
3=2E Age=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
4=2E Sex=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
5=2E Marital Status=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
6=2E Occupation=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
7=2E Phone numbers=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
8=2E Fax number=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
9=2E Country=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D

Congratulation once more

Yours Faithfully=2C
Mrs=2ERose Wolfe
Online Co-ordinator=2E

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam