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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:

• 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)
  • "00,000.00" (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)
  • "headquater" (this email uses bad English)
• 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.
  • +447024013454 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: Tour <info@winners.org>
Reply-To: mr_gerrywhiteclaims@live.com
Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2008 02:10:12 +0400
Subject: ********WINNING NOTIFICATION********

UK INTERNATIONAL DRAW HEADQUATERS
NATIONAL LOTTERY TOWER
LIVERPOOL, L70 1NL
UNITED KINGDOM
Ref No: UK/9420X2/68
Batch No: 074/05/ZY369

********WINNING NOTIFICATION********

We happily announce to you the draw (#1198) of the UK INTERNATIONAL EMAIL DRAW;
online International program held 20th August 2008.Your e-mail address with Serial
number 5368/06 drew the lucky numbers: 17/33-45. Your email won you 1,500,000.00
Great British Pounds.

The selection process was carried out through random selection in our
computerized email selection machine (TOPAZ). Also be informed that you will only
be chosen to receive the donation once, which means that subsequent yearly
donation will not get to you again. Take time and thought in spending the
donation wisely on something that will last you a long time.

TO FILE FOR YOUR CLAIM, DO CONTACT YOUR CLAIMS AGENT AT THE LOTTERY TOWER

Mr. Gerry White
Head Winning Claims Dept
Official Email: mr_gerrywhiteclaims@live.com
Tel: +447024013454

You are to provide the following which are needed to process your winning claim
To your Claims Agent for verification

1. NAME................ 2. AGE/SEX.............
3. ADDRESS.......... 4. OCCUPATION........
5. PHONE NO........ 6. COUNTRY..............

Regards
Mike Vilasma

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam