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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!
  
• How to report 419 spam to us
• 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")
  • ",000,000" (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)
• 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!

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Date: Tue, 21 Oct 2008 07:38:29 -0400
Subject: Thanks For Contributing To Our Financial Success Yahoo

Yahoo! Co-Operation
London
United Kingdom

We happily announce That the draw (#568) of Yahoo Online Lottery Raffle
Draw. Your e-mail address attached to ticket number: 883734657492-5319
which subsequently won you the Yahoo Financial Promotions cash Prize.
You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of £1,000,000(One
Million Great Britain Pounds Sterling) in cash credited to file
KTU/9023118308/03.

To file for your claim, please contact our
Claims Agent:Yahoo Claims Dept.
Email:officialdept.int@live.com

VERIFICATION FORM.(Fill and send to the Claims agent).
1.FULL NAME:
2.FULL ADDRESS:
3.SEX:
4.AGE:
5.OCCUPATION:
6.TEL:
7.COUNTRY:

Congratulations from me and members of Yahoo Corporation

Mrs Tichina Britlin
Yahoo Official

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam