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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:

• 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:
  • "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
• 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 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.
  • jonathan.houmr3@yahoo.com.hk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Chris Leach <chris_leach@live.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:20:20 -0400
Subject: Congratulation and Notification

Congratulation and Notification
UK-Asia International Lottery Organization
Bangkok Branch Office
Address: 3 Rajdamnern Avenue
Bangkok 10200 Thailand.

 

Congratulations from our members of staff. We are UK ASIA LOTTERY AGENCY,You don't have to purchase a ticket to enter this free lottery, your email is indicating you as a winner of the lottery programs held by the UK-Asia Free Lottery Organization on the 1st of September 2008 and your Email address
has won you US$4.6M.

 

Your email addresses was entered for the online draw on this Free Ticket Number:APP236566301307 and won on this Lucky Number: MX014926583. All winners cheque are certified cashiers and are cashable in any bank of any country.For your won prize certified cashiers cheque redemptioncontact the Courier Company in charge of all winners cheque delivery on the below information:

 

Contact Name: Mr.Jonathan Hou
Email: jonathan.houmr3@yahoo.com.hk

 

You are to send the completed verification form below to the co-ordinator whose email address is given above so that you will be advised on what to do to get your prize money. Congratulations once more!!

 

1. FULL NAME:
2. COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:
3. PRESENT ADDRESS:
4. DATE OF BIRTH:
5. OCCUPATION:
6. TELEPHONE NUMBER:
6. FAX NUMBER:
7. MARITAL STATUS:
8. WINNING NUMBERS:
9. SCAN COPY ID CARD: Good luck.

 

Winning Notification Department,
UK-Asia International Lottery Organization

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam