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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.
• 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.
  • mercyclay@consultant.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: mercyclay@consultant.com
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2008 08:17:21 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: 2008 Award Payment Notification!!!


¡Tengo nueva dirección de correo!Ahora puedes escribirme a:mercyclay@yahoo.com.co



- Atlantic lottery Corporationreference number:ALC/38807886091/05Batch number:340/1608/RDLAward Notification!!!Attn:Winner,We are pleased to inform you of the result of the Atlantic lottery Corporation International promotion programs held on 2nd Aug,2008.Your e-mail address was attached to ticket number033-1146993-750 with serial number 3-15-16-21-34-36, which consequently won in the 3rd category, you have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of $2.5million in cash credited to file numberLC/38807886091/05.CONGRATULATIONS!Your fund is now deposited with a company insured in your name.Due to the mix up of some numbers and names,we ask that you keep this award strictly from public notice untilyour claim has been processed and your fund paid to you.This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming or unscrupulous acts by participants of this program. We hope with a part of you prize, you willparticipate in our end of year high stakes US$1.3 billion international lottery.To file for your claims, contact your processing agent:Mrs.Mercy Clay Email:(mercyclay@consultant.com)Thanks and congratulations once again to you

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam