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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:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • ",500,000" (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)
  • "00,000.00" (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!
• 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.
  • +447024021857 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
  • +448712636944 (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.
  • wthomson@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2008 13:07:02 -0500
Subject: Acknowledge receipt


ATTN: WINNER,

Having concluded a recent lotto special programme, your email address
was among the specially selected, hence in the LOTTO HOTPICKS file
category, with special winnings numbers 11,13,21,33,36,47 you are to
receive a cash sum of £4,500,000.00 (Four Million Five Hundred Thousand
Great Britain Pounds Only).

All participants for the online version were selected randomly from the
World Wide Web through a computer draw system and extracted from over
50,000 unions, associations, and corporate bodies that are listed
online.

For further details and processing of your winnings, you MUST FORWARD a
copy of this notification/alert via email or fax (indicating your email)
to our processing director via contact information below;

Mr. William Thomson,
TNL Processing Director,
Tel: +44 702 402 1857
Tel: +44 703 196 3385
Fax: +44 871 263 6944
Email: william_th@live.com
Cc: wthomson@hotmail.com

Congratulations once again from me, and entire members of staff of the
THE NATIONAL LOTTERY (TNL) and it is our hope that you participate in
any of our international programs in the nearest future.

Thank you.

Yours faithfully,
Miss Felicia Clarke,
Special Programme Coordinator,
Special Programme Department,
THE NATIONAL LOTTERY (TNL)
Email:the_tnl@live.com
************************************************************
DISCLAIMER & CONFIDENTIALITY:
The information contained in this communication is intended solely for
the use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed and others
authorized to receive it, as it may contain confidential or legally
privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient you are
hereby notified that any disclosure, unauthorized use,copying,distribution
or taking any action in reliance on the contents of this information is
strictly prohibited and may be unlawful.

If you have received this communication in error,please notify us
immediately by responding to this email and then delete it from your
system. THE NATIONAL LOTTERY (TNL) is neither liable for the proper and
complete transmission of the information contained in this
communication nor for any delay in its receipt.
************************************************************

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam