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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "claim 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 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.
  • lagosloto@eriga.lv

Fraud email example:

From: "Lagos State" <lagosstateloto@msn.com>
Reply-To: lagosloto@eriga.lv
Date: Thu, 13 Oct 2005 02:27:17 +0000
Subject: INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY

LAGOS STATE LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY,
ALAUSA SECRETERIAT,
PLOT 5 - 20.

FROM THE DESK OF: " HIS EXCCELLENCY" DR. ASIWAJU ARMED BOLA TUNUBU
(THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR OF LAGOS STATE).

This letter serves to inform you that you are one of our lucky winners of
$3million US DOLLARS, of the emails lottery programme that was held on July
27th, 2005 and the result was release on the 23rd of September, 2005.The
expiring date of claiming this money is 23rdth October 2005.
To begin your claim please contact your claim agent, (
JOHN ODOZIE) with email : ( lagosloto@eriga.lv)
so that he will tell you how you will claim your money. Ordinarily any
person would have been apprehensive on such a fabulous Gesture. I am pleased
to give an insight on this whole gift from the Lagos state Governor who
incidentally was born in the united state of America. The Governor
requested that via our central computer we should source email addresses of
individuals and corporate bodies who registered for support or as
contractors or, sympathizers to the hurricane victims in the united state of
America. Its through our central computer that your email address was
selected. The Computer selected well over 2,000.000.00 email addresses,
and a computer lottery of only 5 winners was conducted, as faith will have
it your mail address emerged one of the lucky five. I presume this
explanation would have brought you in the full light of the Lottery. NOTE:
You will remit 10% of this money back to your claim agent immediately you
recieved your $3 ,000,000.00 (Three Million United States of American
Dollars). Keep it confidential until you recieve the money to aviod double
claims.

Once again Congratulations!


Best Regards.
Dr. Garet oge: (Financial Adviser To The Gorvernor

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam