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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• The following fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "irish lottery" (can only win this lottery if you bought a ticket)
• 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.
  • +447045724339 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: Constance Williams <cmwilliams@ualr.edu>
Reply-To: irishloterypromo2008@gmail.com
Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2008 02:46:54 +0200
Subject: ( Ref: UK/9420X2/68 - Batch: 074/05/ZY369 ) ..CONTACT MR JONES
SMITH

We happily announce to you the draw (=231004) of the IRISH LOTTERY onlin= e=3CBR=3ESweepstakes International program held on Monday=2C 18th August= =2C2008=2EYour e-mail address attached to ticket number=3A56475600545 18= 8 with Serial number 5368/02 drew the lucky numbers=3A 05=2C10=2C11=2C26= =2C31=2C41(Bonus no=2E44)=2EYou have therefore been approved to claim a = total sum of =A3700=2C000 ( Seven Hundred Thousand pounds sterling ) in = cash credited to file KTU/9023118308/03=2E=3CBR=3E=26nbsp=3B=3CBR=3ECont= act person =3A MR JONES SMITH=3CBR=3EEmail =3A =3CA href=3D=22mailto=3Ac= laimsirishdept=40live=2Ecom=22=3Eclaimsirishdept=40live=2Ecom=3C/A=3E=3C= BR=3EPhone =3A=26nbsp=3B +447045724339=3CBR=3E=26nbsp=3B=3CBR=3EYours fa= ithfully=2C=3CBR=3EStella Ellis(Mrs) Online coordinator for=3CBR=3ETHE I= RISH LOTTERY=3CBR=3E=3CBR=3E

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam