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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• 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.
  • +447024014880 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
• 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.
  • elizabethfwlr@googlemail.com

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: seanwell111111@googlemail.com
Date: Thu, 23 Oct 2008 10:08:27 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: I need to hear from you.


¡Tengo nueva dirección de correo!Ahora puedes escribirme a:elizabethfwlr1900@yahoo.com.co



- WINNING,NOTIFICATION, We are pleased to inform you of the final announcement of October 20th 2008 of winners of the National Lottery Promo International program.You were entered as dependent clients with: Reference NUMBER: 67345/05 and Batch number 05/06/MA34. Your email address attached to the ticket number:55550064638 that drew the lucky winning numbers 2,03,23,33,40,46 and bonus ball 30 which consequently won the Jackpot in the first category,in four parts.You have been approved for a payment of One Million Great British Pounds in cash credited to file reference number:EG/2551256003/04.Congratulations!!! Please contact the under listed claims release office for immediate pay out of your winning fund: Name: Sean Wells Email: seanwells1900@live.com Phone: +44-702-401-4880 To avoid unnecessary delay and complications, Please quote your Reference /batch numbers in any correspondences with us or our designated agent.Congratulations once more from all members of staffs, management team and directors of this program.Yours faithfully,Elizabeth Fowler elizabethfwlr@googlemail.com EURO-ASIAN ZONAL COORDINATOR.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam