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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:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "international lottery programme" (no such lottery exists)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "central bank of nigeria" (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.
  • fathercosta6@yahoo.it (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "REV FR, MORGAN COSTA" <morgan.costa48@hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2007 15:12:54 +0100
Subject: ATTN: YOU HAVE WON


Date 28/09/2007
Ref: 475061725
Batch: 7056490902/188
Winning no: GB8701/LPRC

We are delighted to inform you of your prize release on the 28th of
September 2007 from the Australian International Lottery programme.
Which is fully based on an electronic selection of winners using
their e-mail addresses.Your name was attached to ticket number;
47061725 07056490902 serial number 7741137002 This batch draws
the lucky numbers as follows 5-13-33-37- 42 bonus number 17,which
consequently won the lottery in the second category.
You here by have been approved a lump sum pay of US$500,000.00 (FIVE
HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS) in cash credit file ref: ILP/HW 47509/02
from the total cash prize shared amongst Fifty lucky winners in this
category.

All participant
were selected through a computer balloting system drawn form Nine
hundred thousand E-mail addresses from Canada, Australia, United
States, Asia, Europe, Middle East,Africa and Oceania as part of our
international promotions program which is conducted annually.
This Lottery was promoted and sponsored by a conglomerate of some
multinational companies as part of their social, responsibility to the
citizens in the communities where they have operational base.
Furthermore your details(e-mail address) falls within our European
representative office in Amsterdam(Holland) as indicated in your
play coupon and your prize of US$500,000.00 will be released to you
from this regional branch office in Africa Nigeria from CENTRAL BANK OF
NIGERIA We hope with part of your prize, you will participate in our end of
year high stakes for US$1.3 Billion international draw, to file for
your claim .

Please quote your reference,batch and winning number which can be
found on the top left corner of this notification as well as your
full name, address and telephone number to help locate your file
easily. For security reasons, we advice all winners to keep this
information confidential from the Public until your claim is processed and your
prize released to you.This is part of our security protocol to avoid
double claiming and unwarranted taking advantage of this programme
by non-participant or unofficial personnel.

Note, all
winnings MUST be claimed by the 5th October 2007; otherwise all
funds will be returned as Unclaimed and eventually donated to
charity.
Congratulations, once again on your winning.

Please , kindly contact, Rev Father Morgan Costa

at........ fathercosta6@yahoo.it


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam