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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:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "claims agent" (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!

Fraud email example:

From: POWERBALL LOTTERY ONLINE <ppps@telecom.cz>
Reply-To: powerballresults108@gmail.com
Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2008 19:42:04 GMT
Subject: SERIAL NUMBER:PBL099876




THE POWERBALL LOTTERY FINAL ANNOUNCEMENT / 2008 =


We are pleased to inform you of the result of the POWERBALL LOTTERY=2C w=
hich was held on 16th August=2E=2E2008 and results released 18th August=2E=
=2E2008=2E Your e-mail address attached to TICKET NUMBER=3A0098876=2Cwit=
h SERIAL NUMBER=3APBL099876=2CDRAW LUCKY NUMBERS=3A 9-21-17-39-23-13(20)=
that drew a prize of =A3500=2C000 GBP (Five Hundred Thousand Great Brit=
ain Pounds) in the prestigious Powerball Group Sweepstakes Award 2008=2C=
To file for your claimS kindly Contact your fiduciary agent with the em=
ail address below=3A You are to submit to the claims agent your=3A =


FULL NAME =

ADDRESS =

TEL =

SEX =

AGE =

MARITAL STATUS =

OCCUPATION =

COUNTRY =


YOUR SECURITY FILE REFERENCE NUMBER IS UK/9420X2/68=2E(keep personal)=2E=
Remember=2C your winning must be claimed not later than(ONE MONTH OFNOTI=
FICATION)=2E =


Mr=2E Philip Hanks =

Powerball Award Team Award=2E =

Email=3A powerballresults108=40gmail=2Ecom

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam