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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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "fondazione di vittorio" (not involved with lotteries)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "please endeavor to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "million united states dollars" (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)
  • "(ecowas)" (the name of a person or institution often appearing 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 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.
  • giovanifdv@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: anto@mchsi.com
Date: Sat, 28 Apr 2007 05:46:25 +0000
Subject: IMPORTANT NOTICE (Contact Mr Giovanni of Fondazione Di Vittorio)

VITTORIO FONDAZIONE.
Corso Ercole I d'Este 44,
Ferrara 44100 - Italy.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

Foundation's Officer,
Fondazion Di Vittorio, ITALY
http://www.fondazionedivittorio.it

CONCERN

The Foundazion di Vittorio, would like to notify you that you have been chosen
by the board of trustees as one of the final recipients of a cash
Grant/Donation for your own personal, educational, and business development.
The Fondazione Di Vittorio, established 1977 by the Multi-Million groups and
now supported by the Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS),
United Nations Organization (UNO) and the European Union (EU) was conceived
with the objective of human growth, educational, and community development.

To celebrate the 28th anniversary program, The Vittorio Foundation in
conjunction with the Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS),
United Nations Organization (UNO) and the European Union (EU) is giving out a
yearly donation of US$100,000,000.00 (One Hundred Million United States
Dollars) to 100 lucky recipients. These specific Donations/Grants will be
awarded to 100 lucky international recipients worldwide; in different
categories for their personal business development and enhancement of their
educational plans. At least 15% of the awarded funds should be used by you to
develop a part of your environment. This is a yearly program, which is a
measure of universal development strategy.

Based on the random selection exercise of internet websites and millions of
supermarket cash invoices worldwide, you were selected among the lucky
recipients to receive the award sum of US$1,000,000.00 (One Million United
States Dollars) as charity donations/aid from the Vittorio Foundation, ECOWAS,
EU and the UNO in accordance with the enabling act of Parliament. (Note that
all beneficiaries email addresses were selected randomly from over 100,000
internet websites or a shop's cash invoice around your area in which you might
have purchased something from).You are required to provide your useful
information below and email it to our Executive Secretary below for
qualification documentation and processing of your claims. After contacting our
office with the requested data, you will be given your donation pin number,
which you will use in collecting the funds. Please endeavor to quote your
Qualification numbers (N-222-6747, E-900-56) in all discussions.


FULL NAMES:__________________________________
ADDRESS: _________________________________________________
COUNTRY________________________________
SEX:_______________
AGE:__________________
OCCUPATION:________________________
TELEPHONE NUMBER:_____________________

===========================================
SEND ALL YOUR CLAIMS AND INQUIRIES TO THE
Executive Secretary - Claudio Giovanni
Email: giovanifdv@yahoo.com

All information is strictly confidential and will only be used for the purpose
to which it is been requested.Please note that these donations/Grants are
strictly administered by Economic community for West African States (ECOWAS),
European Union (EU), under delegated powers from the United Nations
Organization (UNO). This means that your qualification number will be referred
to, to know the organisation (ECOWAS or EU) that will handle your payment. You
are to keep this whole information confidential until you have been able to
collect your donation, as a result of risk of internet hackers and spammers to
aviod double claiming, due to beneficiaries informing third parties about
his/her donation.Finally, all funds should be claimed by their respective
beneficiaries, no later than 15 days after notification. Failure to do so will
mean cancellation of that beneficiary and its donation will then be reserved
for next year's recipients.

On behalf of the Board, accept our warmest congratulations.

Regards.
Mr. Antonio Pablo
(Foundation officer)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam