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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
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• 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 office" (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 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.
  • +34660972184 (Spain, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: nationaltrustp@aim.com
Date: Sat, 08 Nov 2008 09:20:08 GMT
Subject: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Ref=2E_N=BA=3A_ESM/WIN/008/05/10/MA?=




EURO MILLION LOTTERY AWARD 2008

YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS WON THE LOTTERY=2E

We wish to congratulate you over your email success in our computer
balloting sweepstake =2E This is a millennium
scientific computer game in which email addresses were used=2E It is a
promotional program aimed at encouraging internet users=3B therefore you=

do not need to buy ticket to enter for it=2E

If this e mail reach you=2Cplease contact the under listed claims office=
r
for identification/verification and the eventual release of your money=2E=


http=3A//www=2Eeuromillions=2Ecom/

National Agency Espa=F1a
Dr=2EPauly Ulrich
Address=3A Avda =2EDel Petroleo 222
Polig Madrid Spain=2E

Tel+34 660 972 184
E-mail=3A nationaltrustp=40aim=2Ecom


Your email address attached to ticket star number (04-08) drew the
Euro Million lucky numbers 04-19-26-27-30 which consequently won the dra=
w
in the Second category=2EYou have therefore been approved for a lump sum=

payout of prize of 1=2C000=2C000=2E00 EUR (One Million Euro) in cash cre=
dited to
file

REF=3AXYL /26510460037/02=2E with serial number (51622 ) with the follow=
ing
digit information below=3A(=A1)Batch=2E N=BA=3A EULO/2907/444/908/07=2E=2C=


(ii)Ref=2E N=BA=3A ESM/WIN/008/05/10/MA

For due processing and remittance of your prize money to a designated
account of your choice=2E Remember=2C all prize money must be claimed no=
t
later than 29th November=2C 2008=2EAfter this date=2C all funds will be
returned as unclaimed=2E
Congratulation Once More=2E

Best Regards=2C

Mr=2E Emily Simon=2E
Euro Million National Sec=2E

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam