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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.

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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 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.
  • xcofinance@netscape.net

Fraud email example:

From: Xco Finance <xcofinance@netscape.net>
Date: Sat, 18 Feb 2006 16:55:08 +0100
Subject: NOTIFICATIONS OF WINNING




FROM: THE DESK OF THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER,
PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT.
Ref. Number: GL/7549/524344
Batch Number: SQ-95213788
SIR/MADAM.
We are pleased to inform you of the announcement WINNERS OF THE INTER SWEEP STAKE LOTTERY PROGRAMS HELD ON 18th OF FEBRUARY 2006.
Your coupon, is attached to ticket number 7709233, with serial
number 45305523 drew the lucky numbers 60-34-92-44 , and
Consequently won the lottery in the 1st category. You have therefore been
Approved for a lump sum pay of ?1,000,000.00 (One Million Euros)
This is from total prize money of ?18,400,000.00 shared among the
Seventeen international winners in this category. All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from 50,000 names from Australia, New Zealand, America, Europe, North America, Asia and Africa as part of International promotions Program, which is conducted annually.

CONGRATULATIONS!
Due to the mix up of some numbers and names, we ask that you keep this award strictly from public notice until your claim has been processed and your money remitted to you. This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming or unscrupulous acts by participants of this program.
This lottery was promoted and sponsored by World Largest software to encourage the rapid use of Microsoft ware users and to enlighten and promote the wide spread usage of the internet within the global world, under the sponsorship of Microsoft ware wizard. We hope with part of your winning you will take part in our next year ?10 million international lottery.
To file for your claim, please contact our agent.
Mr.Antoni Gomez, of Xco Finance Consultancy
TEL: 0034 -686 706 243
FAX: 0034 -947 519 101
Email: xcofinance@netscape.net
Remember, all winning must be claimed not later than 6st March, 2006. After this date all unclaimed funds will be included in the next stake. Please note in order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, remember to quote your reference and batch numbers in all correspondence. Furthermore, should there be any change of address do inform our agent as soon as possible.
Congratulations once more from our members of staff and thank you for being part of our promotional program.
Note: Anybody under the age of 18 is automatically disqualified.
Sincerely
DR.MARCO WADE.
(Lottery Coordinator)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam