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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:

• 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:
  • "from: the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "00,000.00" (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.
  • +2348032298435 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • jelfwilliamsoffice01@yahoo.com
  • jelfwilliams01office@yahoo.com
  • jelfwilliamsoffice04@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • jelfwilliamsoffice01@gmail.com

Fraud email example:

From: "asutralian lotto" <asutralianlotto004@biz.by>
Reply-To: jelfwilliamsoffice04@gmail.com
Date: Mon, 14 Jul 2008 08:30:23 -0700
Subject: CONGRATULATION!!!


FROM: THE DESK OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARDS DEPARTMENT
AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL SWEEPSTAKES LOTTERY
CORPORATION.2008
****
DATE 14/07/2008
REF NUMBER: 475061725
BATCH NUMBER: 7056490902/188
WINNING NUMBER: GB8701/L PRC

Dear Winner,

We are delighted to inform you of your prize which was released today
being 14thJuly 2008, from the Australian International Lottery
Program, which is fully based on an electronic selection of winners using
their e-mail address from some sites. Your email address was attached to
ticket number; 4700172507056490102 and serial number 7741134002. This
batch draws the lucky numbers as follows 5-13-33-37-42 and bonus number
17,which consequently won the lottery in the second category. You
hereby have been approved a lump sum pay of(US$500,000.00 (FIVE HUNDRED
THOUSAND DOLLARS) in cash shared amongst eight lucky winners in this
category.

All participants were selected through a computer balloting system
drawn from Nine hundred thousand E-mail addresses from Canada, Australia,
United States, Asia, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Oceania as part of
our international promotion 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 an operational base.Furthermore, your
details (e-mail address) fall within our European representative office
in Amsterdam,Holland as indicated in your play coupon and your prize
of USD$500,000.00 will be released to you from this regional office in
NIGERIA. We hope that with part of your prize, you will participate in
our end of year high stakes for US$1.5 Billion international draw. To
file for your claim, please contact our director of finance.

Name :jelf Williams
E-mail:(*****jelfWilliamsoffice01@yahoo.com<http://us.mc588.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=jelfWilliams01office@yahoo.com>
***)
E-mail:(*****jelfWilliamsoffice04@gmail.com<http://us.mc588.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=jelfWilliamsoffice01@gmail.com>
*
TEL+234 8032298435
* *
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 Programmer by non
participants or unofficial Personnel.Note: All winnings MUST be claimed
within 30
days of from today; otherwise all funds will be returned As Unclaimed
and eventually donated to charity Organizations


PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL. CONTACT YOUR CLAIMS
E-mail:(*****jelfwilliamsoffice01@yahoo.com<http://us.mc588.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=jelfwilliams01office@yahoo.com>
*)
E-mail:(*****jelfwilliamsoffice04@gmail.com<http://us.mc588.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=jelfwilliamsoffice01@gmail.com>
*)
Note,quote the amount won and mobile phone number
while sending your winning details to your claims
agent

PLEASE ENSURE YOU TYPE THE EMAIL ADDRESS CORRECTLY TO
ENSURE SAFE & QUICK MAIL DELIVERY/RESPONSE.
ANY BREACH OF CONFIDENTIALITY ON THE PART OF WINNERS
WILL RESULT TO DISQUALIFICATION.
**
Yours Faithfully,
Mr James Smith
(Co odinator)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam