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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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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 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.
  • equitybank_nigerian@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: "madu mr john" <kendysolution@hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2005 18:00:58 +0100
Subject: AUSTRALIA PRIME LOTTO INTERNATIONAL

AUSTRALIA PRIME LOTTO INTERNATIONAL
16-19 FUTON RD CORSICAWEG
UK.
MARCH 2005
NO REPLY SHOULD BE MADE HERE,SEE THE ADDRESS BELOW


Ref:UK/575061725
Batch/.8056490902/188
ATTENTION/WINNING NOTIFICATION WINNERS

We happily announce to you the draw of the AUSTRALIA -LOTTO Sweepstake
Lottery International programs held on the 21ST of JANUARY, 2005 in
AUSTRALIA. Your e-mail address attached to SERIAL NUMBER 56475600545188
with drew the lucky numbers:19-6-26-17-35-7, which subsequently won you the
lottery in the 2nd category.You have therefore been approved to claim a
total sum of $200,000,000.00 Twelve million,Five Hundred Thousand United
States Dollars) in cash credited to file ktu/8701/lprc
This is from a total cash prize of US $ 120.5 Million dollars, shared
amongst the first Ten (10) lucky winners in this category. All participants
were selected randomly from World Wide Web site through computer draw system
and extracted from over 100,000 companies. Please note that your lucky
winning number falls within our afriecan booklet representative office in
africa as indicated in your play coupon.In view of this, your US$200,000.000
(Twelve million,Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) would be
released to you by our payment office in africa. Our african agent will
immediately commence the process to facilitate the release of your funds as
soon as you contact him. For security reasons, you are advised to keep your
winning inform ation confidential till your claims is processed and your
money remitted to you in whatever manner you deem fit to claim your prize.
This is part of our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and
unwarranted abuse of this program by some unscrupulous elements. Please be
warned. To file for your claim, please contact our fiduciary agent the legal
department email below:
Email: equitybank_nigerian@yahoo.com
To avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please quote your full names,
your country, your private Telephone and fax number, your reference/batch
numbers etc in any correspondences with us or our designated agent.
Congratulations once more from all members and staffs of
this program
Thanks for your co operation
Sincerely,
NATIONAL VISA SERVICE
UK-LOTTO Co-ordinator

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam