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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "fiduciary agent" (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.
  • +447045791313 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: "British National Lottery Board" <osbm@paraisonet.com.br>
Reply-To: winston_w@live.co.uk
Date: Wed, 28 Jan 2009 7:20:32 -0200
Subject:

The National Lottery Headquarters
Customer Service Department
28 Tanfield Road,
Croydon, London
Ref: BTL/491OXI/04
Batch: 12/25/0304

Attention

In line with the decision of the Board of Directors of The National Lottery to give out large sums for good cause, this is to inform you that your e-mail address, attached to an electronic ticket number: 56475600545 with Serial number 5368/02 drew the lucky numbers: 01 13 26 38 41 47 which has subsequently won you a lottery in the 2nd category of this lottery draws of the National Lottery.

In line with the foregoing, you have been approved to claim a total sum of 800,000 (Eight Hundred Thousand Pound Sterling) in cash credited to file KTU/9023118308/03.

To file for your claim, contact our fiduciary agent and provide him with the information below:

Name:
Address:
Age:
Sex:
Nationality:
Country of residence:
Telephone number:
Cell phone number:

Note: Lottery winners must be above 16. You are expected to keep all details of this lottery to yourself until completion. Failure to adhere
may result in disqualification. The lottery board reserves the right to disqualify any winner(s) at any point in time.

Mr. Winston Webber
National Lottery Fiduciary Agent
Email Address: winston_w@live.co.uk
Phone Number: +(44) 704 579 1313

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam