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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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• What can you do when you receive 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:

• 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:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "greater london" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
• 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.
  • +447024015591 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
  • +447024098848 (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.
  • agentfrancis@sify.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • contactfrakelvin@sify.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: 30-09-2009 <mmercy86@yahoo.co.nz>
Reply-To: agentfrancis@sify.com
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 2009 07:06:48 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS.


YAHOO AWARD & MSN WINDOW LIVE PROMOTION CENTER
124 Stockport Road, Long sight, Manchester M60 2DB - United Kingdom
This is to inform you that you have won a prize money of EIGHT HUNDRED AND TWENTY  THOUSAND GREAT BRITAIN POUNDS (£820, 000,00.) for 2009 Prize  Promotion which was organized by YAHOO AWARDS & MSN WINDOWS LIVE.
 






 
YAHOO collects all the email addresses of the people that are active online, among the millions that subscribed to Yahoo and Hotmail and few from other E-mail Providers. Ten people are selected this month to benefit from this promotion and you are one of the Selected Winners.
                                           PAYMENT OF PRIZE AND CLAIM
 
Stated below are your identification numbers: 
BATCH NUMBER:           MFI/06/APA-43658      
REFERENCE NUMBER:   2008234522
PIN:         1206
 
WINNING  NUMBER:...         
These numbers fall within the England Location file, you are requested to contact our fiduciary agent in Manchester and send your winning identification numbers to him;
 
                                 (Agent Name: Mr. Francis Kelvin) 
Address: 194 Station Road Edgware Greater London HA8 7AT, England
 
                      PLEASE CONTACT HIM THROUGH THESE EMAILS,
E-mail:  agentfrancis@sify.com, contactfrakelvin@sify.com
                        Tel:  +447024015591     Fax: +447024098848
You are advised to send the following informations to your agent to facilitate the release of your winning fund to you.
1. Full Names.............................    


2. Contact Address...................   
 
3. Telephone Number...............    


4. Fax Number..........................

5. Occupation...........................     


Congratulations!! Once again.

Yours in service,
Mrs. Mercy Martins.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam