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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:

• 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.
  • +447035930937 (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.
  • steve-harry@hotmail.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2008 02:38:01 +0000
Subject: YAHOO & HOTMAIL INTERNET LOTTERY

YAHOO & HOTMAIL INTERNET LOTTERY

CONGRATULATIONS!

YOU HAVE WON 1,119,118.00 POUNDS

Yahoo & Hotmail Mail gives random cash prize. Your account is randomly selected
as one of 5 top winners accounts who will get cash prize from us. We are happy
to inform you that you have won Cash prize of 1,119,118.00 (One million, one
hundred and nineteen thousand - one hundred and eighteen Pounds Sterling) for
the Month of Nov, 2008 Lottery winning promotion which is organized by Yahoo
Online Lottery every month.

HOW TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE
Below are your identification numbers;
Batch number.....................Lwh09445
Lotto number.....................Lwh09446
Winning number...................Lwh09447

To begin your claims, kindly contact our financial agent Mr. Steve Harry with
his contact below;

Financial Agent: Mr. Steve Harry
Tel: +44 703 593 0937
Fax: +44 700 594 7485
E-mail address: steve-harry@hotmail.co.uk

Yours Sincerely,

Mr. Mark Pens
LOTTERY CO-ORDINATOR

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam