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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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "uk national lottery" (can only win this lottery if you bought a ticket)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "from: the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "claim 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!
• 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.
  • uknlteam02@hotmail.com

Fraud email example:

From: "Jonathan Greenwald" <jgreenwald@crisisgroup.org>
Date: Tue, 7 Oct 2008 02:53:33 +0200
Subject: WINNING NOTIFICATION

UNITED KINGDOM NATIONAL LOTTERY
175 WOODHILL ROAD, BULKYARD, LONDON,
UNITED KINGDOM
FROM: THE DESK OF THE CYBER ANALYST,
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE
AWARD DEPARTMENT.

DEAR WINNER,

We are pleased to inform you of the result of the just
concluded annual final draws of UNITED KINGDOM NATIONAL
PROGRAM. international programs.After this automated
computer ballot, your e-mail address emerged as one of two
winners in the category \"A\" You are therefore been approve
to claim the sum of £800,000,00 (Eight Hundred thousand Pounds Sterling)
with the information below:

REFERENCE NUMBER:UK/839030X2/14
BATCH NUMBER:065/088/XY24
VERIFICATION AND FUNDS RELEASE FORM
Make Sure this Verification and Funds Release Form is sent to the
Fiduciary agent for quick verification and funds release purpose.
1.FULL NAMES:__________________________________
2.ADDRESS:_____________________________________
____________________________________________
3.SEX:_______________
4.Date of Birth:________
5.MARITAL STATUS:___________________
6.OCCUPATION:________________________
7.WINNING EMAIL ADDRESS:_________________________
8.WINNING DRAW NUMBERS:________________________
9.BONUS NUMBER:__________________________
10.TELEPHONE NUMBER:_____________________
11.SERIAL NUMBER:__________________
12.AMOUNT WON:_______________________________
13. STATE:__________________________________
14. COUNTRY:________________________________


Claim Agent Name:Mr. Harry Page
E-mail: uknlteam02@hotmail.com

Sincerely,
Mrs. Caroline Bryan.
Contact Our Agent With This Official Email Address below:
uknlteam02@hotmail.com

Winners are to send response to this email address:- uknlteam02@hotmail.com

This transmission message is confidential and may be legally privileged.
If you receive it in error, please notify us immediately by e-mail and
remove it from your system. If the content of this e-mail does not relate
to the business of the Uk National Lottery, then we do not endorse
it and will accept no liability.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam