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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) 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:

• 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:
  • "foreign service manager" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
• 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.
  • +447031821709 (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.
  • cardiffloto@writeme.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "CARDIFF LOTTERY ORGANIZATION" <cardiff@moscowmail.com>
Reply-To: cardiffloto@writeme.com
Date: Wed, 7 Jun 2006 03:11:31 -0700
Subject: Dear Prize Winner!

FORM: CARDIFF LOTTERY ORGANIZATION
NAL-LOTTO PROMO UK
7 POUNTNEY HILL CANNON STREET LONDON E.C.4
Office of Prize Disbursement (OPD)
London, United Kingdom.
RE: OFFICIAL LETTER - PRIZE WINNING NOTICE

Dear Prize Winner,

Reference number:EG/44807886091/06

Batch number:440/1608/RDL

We are pleased to inform you of the result of the CARDIFF FORTUNE LOTTO brits sweepstakes lottery International promotion UK programs held on the 3rd June 2006. Your e-mail address attached to ticket number 033-1146993-750 with serial number 13-15-16-21-34-36,

which consequently won in the 2ND category, you have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of £1.5m (ONE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND BRITISH POUNDS STERLING) in cash credited to file number EG/44807886091/06.

All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from 25,000 email addresses from all over the world as a part of our international promotional program, which we conduct twice annually.

To avoid fraud and scams, and to begin your claim, please contact only your assigned agent, Mr Tom Smith;foreign service manager of CARDIFF LOTTERY ORG via email on cardiffloto@writeme.com and loto@di-ve.com for processing and remittance of your prize money to a designated account of your choice.

All prize money must be claimed not later than 14days from the date of this notice, as after this date, all funds will be returned to CARDIFF LOTTO INTERNATIONAL as unclaimed.

In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please quote your reference and batch number in every correspondence with us, or your agent. Furthermore, if you have changed your email address, do contact your agent, notifying him of the change.

Congratulations once more for and on behalf of all members of my staff and thank you for being a part of our promotions program.

Thanks

Mr Tom Smith
Email: cardiffloto@writeme.com
Email: loto@di-ve.com
Tel: + 44-703-182-1709
FAX: + 44-70304-00042
For Further Assistant please call your international
directory in your country
(CARDIFF LOTTERY ORGANIZATION)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam