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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:
  • "please endeavor to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
• 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.
  • mgrantlotto33@googlemail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Nicklas Andersson" <nicklas@grebo.nu>
Date: Mon, 22 Dec 2008 00:19:05 +0100
Subject: NOTIFICATION OF PRIZE WIN--Contact Release Agent Now!



La Loterie Romande
Rue Marterey13,
1002 Lausanne,
Switzerland.

Reference : LR/19-CH/9642,
Batch : LR/07/18

Congratulations!,

You are hereby notified that your email identity has won EUR 1 000 000 (One million Euro) after our final email draws condcuted last week. Your ID was atached to serial number : 25-6395 and drew the winning numbers;4.36.18.2.31.39

For further instructions and release details, please contact your assigned agent, Mr.Mac' Grant by his email below;

Mr.Mac Grant
Foreign Services Manager, London Office.
Phone: 00447024037055, Fax: 00448709745641
E-mail: mgrantlotto33@googlemail.com

Your claims agent will assist you in the processing and remittance of your prize funds into your designated bank account.

Note that all prize funds must be claimed not later than three weeks. After this date, all funds will be returned to the lottery treasury as 'Unclaimed'. In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please endeavor to quote your reference (LR/19-CH/9642) and batch numbers (LR/07/18) in every correspondence with your agent. Furthermore, should there be any change in your address, do inform your claims agent as soon as possible.

Congratulations once again!

Yours faithfully,
Jean-Pierre Beuret.
Managing Director,
La Loterie Romande.

*COMPLIMENT OF THE SEASON*

© 2008 LOTERIE ROMANDE.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam